“There Is Over 3,000km Between Where the Bomb Fell and Where ISIS Operates” – Dr Getso Questions Sokoto Airstrikes

A security expert, Dr Yahuza Getso, has raised serious concerns over the reported United States airstrikes in parts of Sokoto State, questioning both the choice of location and the broader implications of the operation.

Dr Getso made his position known during an interview on Nigeria Info FM on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, where he called for clarity and transparency from relevant authorities over what exactly transpired following the airstrikes.

According to him, the incident raises more questions than answers, especially given Sokoto’s historical, religious, and geographical significance. 

One of the issues he highlighted was the visit of the Chief of Army Staff to the Sultan of Sokoto shortly after the incident. 

Dr Getso questioned the motive behind the visit, asking why the army chief deemed it necessary to meet the Sultan after the military action. 

He further asked whether the Sultan should be considered a key stakeholder whose role and position demand respect and prior engagement in such sensitive matters.

The security analyst also raised concerns about the narrative surrounding religious violence in Nigeria. 

He questioned whether Muslims were being unfairly targeted, especially in light of longstanding claims by foreign actors about alleged Christian genocide in the country. 

According to Dr Getso, such narratives require careful scrutiny rather than blind acceptance.

To support his argument, he called for a review of official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, covering deaths recorded between 2011 and 2025. 

He expressed optimism that a breakdown of the data would show that Muslims account for a significantly higher proportion of victims of violence, estimating figures as high as 80 to 90 percent. 

Based on this, he questioned why Sokoto, often referred to as the seat of the Caliphate, would be singled out.

Dr Getso also addressed claims linking the airstrikes to the presence of international terrorist groups such as ISIS. 

While acknowledging the existence of ISIS and ISWAP elements in the wider Lake Chad region, including parts of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic, and Mali, he argued that geography alone makes the Sokoto strikes questionable.

He noted that known ISIS and ISWAP strongholds are concentrated around the Borno–Cameroon axis and neighboring countries, not in Sokoto. 

According to him, the distance between areas like Tangaza or Tambuwal in Sokoto State and known terrorist locations in Mali, Chad, or Cameroon exceeds 3,000 kilometres.

“This raises a fundamental question,” Dr Getso argued. “How do you justify detonating bombs so far away from where ISIS is known to be populated?” 

He insisted that any counterterrorism operation must be grounded in credible intelligence and geographical logic.

Addressing the issue of Lakurawa, a group sometimes linked to cross-border criminal activity, Dr Getso stated that their locations are well known to both security agencies and the government. 

He explained that Lakurawa operate mainly in border communities and questioned whether Tangaza fits that profile. 

According to him, Tangaza has historically not been a violent area, making it an unlikely target for such a major operation.

He concluded by challenging the sincerity of the mission. If the true objective was to neutralize criminal or terrorist elements, he argued, then strikes should have been directed at confirmed hotspots rather than Sokoto. 

Dr Getso stressed that without clear explanations, the airstrikes risk deepening mistrust, fuelling religious suspicion, and undermining public confidence in security operations.