- At least three U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles reportedly fell short during a strike on Islamic State targets in Nigeria, with debris and unexploded warheads found near civilian areas in Kwara State.
- Nigerian officials confirmed the strikes were conducted with U.S. cooperation, while analysts say missile safety mechanisms may have prevented detonation after flight-path deviations.
Several Tomahawk cruise missiles failed to reach their intended targets during a recent American strike on Islamic State positions in Nigeria, according to reporting by Militarnyi.
At least three missiles reportedly fell short, with local residents discovering debris and unexploded warheads the morning after the attack.
Photos of the missile remnants were published by conflict researcher Trevor Ball of the investigative journalism group Bellingcat. The images show fragments consistent with Tomahawk cruise missiles, including intact warhead components.
The strike followed an order by U.S. President Donald Trump, who directed what he described as a “powerful and lethal strike” against Islamic State targets in Nigeria. According to local reporting, the attack also affected the area around Offa in Kwara State, raising questions about targeting accuracy and missile performance.
Tajudeen Alabi, a former special assistant to the Kwara State governor on security matters, confirmed the incident to the BBC. He said residents heard explosions three times at around 9:00 p.m. local time on December 25.
“Residents heard explosions three times at around 9:00 p.m.,” Alabi said. He added that the missiles struck and damaged buildings in several locations but that there were no reports of fatalities at the time, although some people were injured. “At least about five structures were destroyed in different locations. We saw some objects in one popular hotel we call Offa Central Hotel. It looked like a bomb,” Alabi said.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that strikes had taken place and said they were carried out in cooperation with the United States. According to the ministry, the joint effort resulted in “pinpoint strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria and airstrikes in the northwest.”
The debris documented in photographs includes WDU-36/B high-explosive fragmentation warheads weighing approximately 310 kilograms, along with parts of a missile wing. Militarnyi reported that the presence of unexploded warheads suggests a technical malfunction rather than deliberate self-destruction.
According to the outlet, if a Tomahawk missile detects a deviation from its programmed flight path, its fuze can block detonation, preventing the warhead from exploding on impact. This safety feature is intended to reduce unintended damage but can leave unexploded ordnance on the ground.
Tomahawk cruise missiles are widely used by the U.S. military for long-range precision strikes and are typically launched from naval platforms. They are designed to follow pre-programmed routes and strike fixed targets with high accuracy. Incidents involving missiles failing to reach targets are uncommon but not unprecedented, particularly in complex operational environments.
The strike in Nigeria reflects Washington’s continued use of long-range precision weapons against Islamic State affiliates operating outside the Middle East.
