Two late December incidents in Nigeria involved separate forms of violence. A suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri killed several civilians, while U.S. forces carried out coordinated airstrikes against ISIS linked camps in Sokoto State.

Participating in the strikes raises the risk that the government will be perceived as endorsing the Trump's language on wider sectarian strife, a sensitive issue throughout Nigeria’s history.

The United States airstrikes targeting militants affiliated with the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria are a major escalation of an offensive that Nigeria’s overstretched military has struggled with for years.

Intelligence indicated the two Islamic State-linked camps in the Bauni forest of Sokoto State were being used by foreign ISIS elements working with local affiliates to plan large-scale attacks inside Nigeria.

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle offered a heartfelt insight into the intensity of leading the nation's football team as he pored over the choices for the starting line-up for his side's final game in Group C on Tuesday night at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.