Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that recent United States military airstrikes in Sokoto State were carried out without the consent of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The U.S. military reportedly conducted airstrikes targeting terrorists in parts of Sokoto on Christmas night. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, announced the operation in separate social media posts on Thursday.
Following the reports, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the airstrikes, stating that the operation was carried out through cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
However, Sowore disputed the government’s position in a statement posted on his official X account, insisting that Nigeria’s sovereignty had been breached. He argued that the strikes were not authorized by the Nigerian government and described official claims of a joint operation as misleading.
According to Sowore, the nature of the airstrike, which he said affected a village in Sokoto State, showed a lack of regard for Nigeria and its citizens by the U.S. leadership under which the operation occurred. He further criticized the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing it of lacking the capacity to protect the country’s sovereignty.
Sowore maintained that Nigeria had been reduced to a passive observer while foreign forces carried out military actions on its territory and stressed that only strong and informed leadership could effectively safeguard the nation and its people.
