Nigeria’s army has stepped up attacks on outlaw groups in the north, bombing hideouts and saving lives just days after America’s president threatened to send in troops over claims of harm to Christians.
Donald Trump posted online that his country might halt all help to Nigeria and launch a fierce raid to crush Islamic radicals if killings go on. He told his defence team to get ready for quick strikes, saying the action would be sharp and final, much like the attacks on believers.
Troops and air crews hit back with a wave of raids across key spots. In Borno State, fighter jets smashed spots used by the Islamic State arm in West Africa, or ISWAP, near Lake Chad. They blew up camps, supply stores, and boat docks where gunmen were gathering on bikes and vessels. Scouts later checked the sites and found many fighters dead, with their plans in ruins.
More blasts targeted bandit camps in Kwara’s Garin Dandi and Chigogo areas, plus a hilltop base in Katsina’s Kankara district run by a top criminal. Planes flew low over paths in Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna, spotting and wiping out riders on motorbikes trying to escape.
On the ground, soldiers from a special unit stopped a raid by Boko Haram on villagers along a Borno road. They freed 86 people grabbed for ransom and nabbed 29 helpers hauling fuel, tyres, food, and drugs to the outlaws. The team chased the attackers to their camp, wrecked it, and took back guns and trucks. No soldiers got hurt.
The push comes amid deadly fights between rival terror bands. Over 50 men died in a shootout in Borno’s Abadam area, where ISWAP tried a boat sneak attack but got caught in a trap set by Boko Haram. Scouts said the first blasts turned the tide fast, leaving the invaders broken.
Nigeria’s air chief ordered the extra flights to keep the pressure on, blending tips from spies with live watch from drones. Officials say these moves show the country’s will to end the violence on its own terms, without outside boots on the ground.
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