Residents of two quiet communities in Sokoto State say they were thrust into chaos late Thursday night when unmanned aircraft believed to belong to the United States military unleashed explosions that shattered the stillness of their farmlands and homes.
President Donald Trump and the US Department of War confirmed the strike, describing it as targeting ISIS operatives in the Northwest Nigerian state.
Trump claimed that the attack was to deter terrorists ‘slaughtering Christians’ in Nigeria, even though the Nigerian government insisted that there was no genocide in the country.
But what began as an ordinary evening in Jabo District of Tambuwal Local Government Area, a place long untouched by the region’s insecurity, reportedly ended in a fireball that lit up the sky and sent families running barefoot into the darkness.
People who witnessed the blast described the moment as surreal and terrifying.
One farmer said they first noticed “something like a tiny, humming star” drifting low over the village. “We were sitting outside talking,” he recalled.
“Then this small flying thing passed over us. Before we could say anything, the ground shook and everything turned red like daylight. People screamed and scattered. Nobody even waited to pick slippers or phones.”
In Tangaza Local Government Area, residents reported a similar night of confusion and fear. People in Warriya and Alkasim villages said the sky rumbled repeatedly between 10 p.m. and midnight, followed by flashes that looked like lightning striking the earth.
Local authorities, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to comment, said the targets appeared to be hideouts linked to the Lakurawa armed group, though they could not confirm casualties.
“Everyone is on edge,” a local official said. “These areas have suffered insecurity for years, but drone strikes are something entirely new. We need clarity on what exactly happened, and whether any civilians were harmed.”
No incidents were reported in the eastern axis of Sokoto, the region most notorious for long-running bandit activity, deepening confusion over why previously calm communities were struck.
Attempts to obtain confirmation from the Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, were unsuccessful.
For now, families in Jabo and Tangaza say they are left with fear, unanswered questions, and a landscape etched with scars from a night they never imagined would reach them.
