The African Democratic Congress has demanded full disclosure from the Federal Government on the recent United States airstrike on terrorist targets in Sokoto State, insisting that Nigerians must be told exactly how many terrorists were neutralised and what the operation achieved.
The airstrike, conducted by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) on December 25, 2025, was announced first by US President Donald Trump, who said American forces had carried out a “powerful and deadly strike” on ISIS‑linked elements in North West Nigeria.
AFRICOM later said the mission was based on shared intelligence and conducted “in coordination with Nigeria’s government” as part of efforts to degrade extremist groups.
In its reaction on Friday, December 26, the ADC said the Tinubu administration cannot simply present the strike as a success without providing hard facts.
“We therefore demand from the government a clear explanation of the role of Nigeria and the terms of engagement in this ‘collaboration.’
“What level of operational control did Nigerian security forces exercise? How many terrorists were actually neutralised?” the statement, signed by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, said.
The party argued that if Nigeria had the intelligence to guide the US strike, it should explain why its own forces did not lead the mission.
“If Nigeria possessed the intelligence that it could pass on to the United States to guide this operation, why was the country unable to lead the mission, despite the trillions of naira spent over the years on security?
“What special skills or technology did this operation require that Nigeria does not possess? What are the immediate outcomes of the strike, and how many more such strikes should we expect?” it asked.
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While backing firm action against insurgents, the ADC said transparency and sovereignty cannot be sacrificed.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) recognises the serious security challenges confronting Nigeria and affirms that the protection of Nigerian lives and the defeat of terrorism must remain a central national priority.
“We therefore support all lawful and effective measures aimed at saving lives and restoring security,” it said.
“Nevertheless, the ADC reiterates its long-standing opposition to the physical operation of foreign military forces on Nigerian soil.
“We must not allow our desperation today to compromise the sovereignty of our country in whatever form or guise,” it added.
The party described the AFRICOM strike on “terrorist locations” in Sokoto as “a desperate measure that must not be allowed to substitute for a Nigeria-led action” and as “an anomaly” only explainable by what it called “the historic incompetence of the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in dealing with the nation’s security challenges.”
The ADC also criticised the communication surrounding the raid, noting that Nigerians first learned of it from Trump’s social media posts, while President Tinubu remained silent.
“The manner in which Nigerians were informed of this development is equally troubling… the primary source of information was a social media post by the American President, while the only information coming from Nigeria was from a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” it said.
Warning against sliding from “strategic collaboration” into “myopic surrender,” the ADC said it is “deeply disturbed by the long-term implications of this incident for Nigeria’s sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and self-respect,” and insisted that the government must begin by answering the central question: how many terrorists were actually killed, and to what measurable effect.