Nearly one month after the United States carried out airstrikes on Christmas Day 2025 in northwestern Nigeria, critical questions remain unanswered. There has been no official confirmation of the strike’s precise location, its intended targets, or the number of civilians killed. The absence of clear communication has deepened public anxiety and exposed longstanding weaknesses in Nigeria’s security governance and accountability systems.
These concerns formed the focus of a virtual policy dialogue convened on January 21, 2026, by The Africa Disruptions Lab (TADLab) and Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa). The dialogue—the second in a continuing series—examined what has changed since the strike, what remains unresolved, and what the silence of institutions signals for Nigeria’s sovereignty, civilian protection, and democratic accountability.
Held under the theme “The Christmas Day Reckoning: Tracking Justice and Change Since the U.S. Airstrikes in Nigeria,” the discussion brought together leading scholars and practitioners in human rights, governance, and security.
*No Post-Strike Assessment, No Accountability*
A central concern raised during the dialogue was the absence of a transparent, independent, and publicly available post-airstrike assessment.
Nearly a month after the operation, there has been no authoritative confirmation of the number of alleged terrorists neutralised, no verified civilian casualty figures, and no public damage assessment.
According to participants, this lack of clarity undermines humanitarian accountability and violates basic principles of civilian protection and democratic oversight.
Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at Tufts University and former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, pointed to reports suggesting that debris from the strike was found in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Niger States.
“There are reports of debris in Kebbi State, Sokoto State, and Niger State—and none of the governors has said a word,” Odinkalu said.
He cited a report by The New Humanitarian indicating that up to 200 unarmed civilians may have been killed, noting that the failure to investigate or publicly clarify these claims deepens mistrust.
“The silence around this strike—from state governors, state assemblies, federal lawmakers, and even citizens—creates the conditions for impunity,” he said.
Odinkalu was particularly critical of presidential inaction, arguing that the failure of the commander-in-chief to address the incident publicly signals a troubling disregard for accountability.
*Institutional Silence Across All Levels*
Beyond the presidency, the dialogue highlighted a broad pattern of silence across institutions constitutionally responsible for oversight and accountability. These include the National Assembly, the Nigerian military and police, opposition parties, major civil society organisations, the media, and regional bodies such as ECOWAS and the African Union.
“The strike occurred on the territory of an ECOWAS member state,” Odinkalu noted. “Yet ECOWAS has said absolutely nothing. That silence reflects weakness and a loss of relevance.”
On her part, Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome, a Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and Chairpersom of TADLab, reiterated the concern.
“The institutions charged with protecting Nigerians have demonstrated—through their silence—that they are unwilling to act in the public interest,” she said.
Okome also observed that the United States has not conducted a transparent congressional hearing or public investigation into the strike. She highlighted the lack of accountability on the international stage.
*Security Architecture Under Scrutiny*
Uncertainty about the strike’s location and impact has raised deeper concerns about Nigeria’s military architecture, intelligence management, and security governance.
Participants noted that claims of precision targeting and extensive intelligence sharing are contradicted by inconsistent official narratives and the absence of authoritative briefings.
“There are indications within Nigeria’s security sector that the epicenter of the strike may have been in the Niger Republic,” Odinkalu said., adding that, “what Nigeria experienced may, in fact, have been debris.”
Okome added that even official materials released by those who conducted the strike were riddled with errors.
“They misspelled Sokoto. No damage assessments have been conducted, or at least none have been made public,” she said.
Politicising Insecurity, Silencing Dissent
The dialogue also examined how expressions of public concern are increasingly framed as partisan attacks, discouraging civic engagement and shielding governance failures from scrutiny.
Odinkalu contrasted the government’s silence on the airstrikes with its responsiveness to elite tragedies.
“The President issued condolences when a public figure had an accident, and again over a personal loss suffered by a prominent writer,” he said.
“Yet one of the most consequential incidents affecting ordinary Nigerians has gone unacknowledged,” the human rights lawyer and scholar, added.
Okome, reinforcing the concerns, warned against what she described as misplaced celebrations of foreign military intervention.
“The idea that external actors will save Nigerians is a dangerous illusion,” she said. “Security and freedom only emerge when local, regional, and foreign powers are held accountable to their social contracts.”
*Media, Civil Society, and Civic Apathy*
Participants underscored the importance of media and civil society as defenders of public truth, while noting limited domestic and international coverage of the strike.
“There has been extensive global coverage of events elsewhere,” Okome observed, “but remarkably little serious engagement in the American press on what happened in Nigeria.”
Odinkalu described the Nigerian media environment as increasingly hostile, citing state actions that restrict press freedom and discourage investigative journalism.
“The appeal by the federal government against a court ruling ordering investigation into the killing of journalists is telling,” he said. “It reflects a deep institutional disconnect and lack of empathy.”
*A Fractured Civic Response*
The muted public reaction to the airstrikes, participants argued, reflects Nigeria’s fragmented national identity and the erosion of shared civic values.
“You would expect national outrage,” Okome said. “But Nigerians remain largely silent. If nobody else cares, we must care.”
Odinkalu contextualised this response historically, arguing that Nigeria’s weak national cohesion has long been exploited by political elites to prevent collective mobilisation against injustice.
The dialogue concluded that the Christmas Day airstrikes represent more than a security incident. They constitute a critical test of Nigeria’s governance, accountability, and civic consciousness.
Without transparent investigations, institutional accountability, sustained media scrutiny, and active civic engagement, participants warned, silence risks becoming policy—and impunity, the norm.
END
Jointly signed:
Shakirudeen Bankole
Communications Consultant
Conflict Research Network
(CORN West Africa)
08033847701
[email protected]
Amsale Alemu
Communications Officer
The African Disruption Lab (TADLab)