Concern over unexploded ordnance from US airstrikes
Publish date: 05 January 2026
Issue Number: 1158
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: Military
Nigeria's military urged civilians in the country's northwest on Friday not to keep or tamper with unexploded ordnance found at sites targeted in recent US-backed airstrikes. The alert follows online footage showing locals scavenging debris and unexploded ordnance at strike sites in Sokoto state, sparking fears of deadly blasts, reports US News. US forces launched a rare strike deep inside Nigeria on 25 December at the request of Nigeria's Government, firing 16 GPS-guided munitions from MQ‑9 Reaper drones at two Islamic State-linked camps in Sokoto. ‘We do not expect civilians to pick up or keep such materials,’ Major General Michael Onoja, director of Defence Media Operations, said. ‘We can only appeal to them to return all materials that may prove harmful to them.’ Onoja said specialised ordnance units within the armed forces were tasked with recovering debris and other remnants from the strikes. The Nigerian Government has confirmed it approved the strikes, saying they followed ‘extensive intelligence gathering, operational planning and reconnaissance’, reports DW. However, even days after the strikes, authorities remain unable to confirm whether there were any civilian casualties or deaths among the targeted militants. The Nigerian Government emphasised that foreign so-called ‘Islamic State’ elements working with local affiliates were using the targeted camps to plan large-scale attacks inside Nigeria.
