Nigeria urges civilians to avoid debris from US-backed strikes on Islamists

By Camillus Eboh

Nigeria's military urged civilians in the country's northwest on Friday not to keep or tamper with unexploded ordnance found at sites targeted in recent U.S.-backed airstrikes.

The alert follows online footage showing locals scavenging debris and unexploded ordnance at strike sites in Sokoto state, sparking fears of deadly blasts.

U.S. forces launched a rare strike deep inside Nigeria on December 25 at the request of Nigeria's government, firing 16 GPS-guided munitions from MQ‑9 Reaper drones at two Islamic State-linked camps in Sokoto.

"We do not expect civilians to pick up or keep such materials," Major General Michael Onoja, director of Defence Media Operations, told reporters on Friday. "We can only appeal to them to return all materials that may prove harmful to them."

Onoja said specialized ordnance units within the armed forces were tasked with recovering debris and other remnants from the strikes.