00:00Just days after Christmas, Nigerians woke up to startling news.
00:07U.S. military airstrikes had hit suspected Islamist militant targets inside Sokoto state.
00:14Supporters called it a decisive boost to Nigeria's fight against extremism.
00:19Critics, however, warned that foreign firepower could complicate an already fragile security
00:25landscape and distract from deeper unresolved problems.
00:30So, here's the question. Is foreign military intervention the solution to Nigeria's long-standing
00:36security challenges? Welcome to the flip side.
00:40The U.S. Africa Command said the strikes targeting militants linked to the Islamic State were carried
00:46out with Nigeria's approval. In Abuja, officials confirmed that President Bola Tinubu authorized
00:53the operation. For some Nigerians, the strikes signaled long-awaited action against armed groups
01:00that have terrorized communities for years. But others raised concerns about escalation,
01:07civilian casualties, and the long-term costs of foreign involvement.
01:11It is a good move because a lot of killings, kidnappings, rapings, and other atrocities
01:19of massacres have been going on in Nigeria, of which are not happy, and other Nigerians
01:26are not happy.
01:27Sincerely speaking, this is a very terrible attack. And, sincerely speaking, we are not
01:33happy with what happened. That is why we are praying. We shouldn't allow them to come into
01:39this country because they are trying to disabilize us, trying to suppress us. And this incident
01:43that is happening, it's not going to go anywhere. It's going to go direct to the northerners.
01:48Yes, it's a very good idea. And I welcome it very well because this security has taken
01:53us backward, backward, so many miles backward. So we need those people, we need Americans to
01:59come and support us so that at least let there be peace in Nigeria.
02:03Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tugar, insists the strikes were jointly planned and do not
02:08amount to a violation of the country's sovereignty. Residents say the operation dealt a blow to
02:15militants believed to be part of the Lakoura group, a shadowy faction operating in Nigeria's
02:21northwest with reported links to ISIS networks.
02:24We've seen that ISIS has been gaining ground in the last few years, especially since the
02:32closure of the U.S. drug base in Agadez. There have been an increase in terrorist cells operating
02:39in many countries, Nigeria, Dijay, Burkina Faso, all the way to China and even Mali. So there
02:47is an intention to put pressure or to disrupt ISIS cells and to show that the U.S. government
02:54still has the capacity to disrupt their activities wherever they are.
02:58The U.S. air strikes might have degraded the jihadist threat, but beyond the body count lies
03:04a far bigger issue. Can military victories translate into lasting peace?
03:09Irrespective of some of the challenges, whatever the kinetic approach, the military approach that
03:17is pursued. If those root causes such as the socio-economic conditions, the community challenges
03:24that I live in, as long as those root causes are not addressed, we are not likely to see a
03:29reduction in the security challenges in Nigeria. Foreign missiles and drones can destroy jihadist camps
03:36and their weapons, but they can't build schools, roads, hospitals, or jobs. And that's the flip side.
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