One day after the United States launched missile strikes in Nigeria targeting the Islamic State group, residents living near the impact area say something shocking: there were no terrorists where the missiles landed.
People in Jabo village, located in north-western Nigeria, are still confused and frightened. They say their quiet farming community suddenly became a battlefield without warning.
Jabo is a small village in Sokoto State, mainly home to Muslim farmers. According to residents, life there has always been peaceful, with no known terrorist camps or fighters hiding among them.
Suleiman Kagara, a local resident, told CNN that he heard a very loud noise late at night on Thursday. He said the sound came around 10 p.m., followed by bright fire flashing across the sky.
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Moments later, a missile hit the ground. Fear spread instantly. Families ran from their homes and hid wherever they could find safety.
“No one slept that night,” Kagara said. “We have never seen anything like this before.”
At the time, Kagara did not know the missiles were fired by the United States. Later, U.S. President Donald Trump described the attack as a “Christmas gift” meant for terrorists.
U.S. Africa Command said the strike killed many Islamic State fighters. However, people living in Jabo strongly disagree with this claim.
Residents insist that the area hit by the missile has never been linked to terrorism. They say there were no Islamic State members, no training camps, and no armed groups in their village.
Sokoto State has faced serious security problems in recent years. These include armed robberies, kidnappings, and attacks by violent groups operating in the wider region.
One such group is known as Lakurawa. The Nigerian government considers Lakurawa a terrorist organization and suspects it has links to Islamic State.
Despite these concerns, locals say Jabo has remained calm and untouched by extremist violence. They stress that Christians and Muslims live together peacefully in the area.
Some residents say the missile strike has damaged trust and raised fear among innocent people who now feel unsafe in their own homes.
The Nigerian government confirmed that the U.S. attacks on Islamic State were carried out with Nigeria’s cooperation.
The strikes took place on Christmas Day 2025 and targeted two locations in Sokoto State.
President Trump warned Islamic State fighters that if they continue killing Christians, the United States will keep launching strong military attacks against them.
Nigeria’s government, however, emphasized that the operation was a joint military action and was not related to religious targeting.
Officials said the strikes were aimed only at terrorist threats and should not be seen as attacks based on religion.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that talks between Nigeria and the United States are still ongoing.
He revealed that he spoke twice with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the missiles were launched.
According to reports, one of the missiles was fired from a U.S. naval force positioned in international waters near Ghana.
This detail has raised further questions among Nigerians about how targets were selected and whether enough intelligence was used before the strike.
For the people of Jabo, the answers remain unclear. What they know is that their village changed forever in one terrifying night.
As investigations continue, residents hope their voices will be heard and that future military actions will protect civilians instead of placing them in danger.
