Residents of Offa, Kwara State, were thrown into panic on Christmas night after explosions rocked parts of the town, damaging property and raising security concerns.

The incident reportedly occurred around midnight at two separate locations within Offa.

Eyewitnesses told DAILY GAZETTE that the first explosion occurred near the Eid praying ground, while the second struck close to Solid Worth Hotel, just a five-minute walk from the initial site.

Authorities also discovered an undetonated device at the second location, prompting increased security measures.

Confirming the incident, Chief Press Secretary to the Offa Local Government Chairman, Abiola Azeez Babatunde, stated that the council is aware of the reports circulating online.

In a statement, he said: “The affected areas have been cordoned off by security agencies to allow for a thorough investigation.”

The Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government, Suleiman Olatunji Omituntun, visited the scene shortly after the incident to assess the situation.

Residents were urged to remain calm, vigilant, and rely only on verified sources for information to avoid spreading panic.

A security official, who requested anonymity, told DAILY GAZETTE that the explosions were caused by components from a missile, not conventional bombs.

“There was an airstrike by the US, in collaboration with the Nigerian government, targeting terrorists in Sokoto. What was found in Offa is a part of a Tomahawk cruise missile launched from a US warship in the Gulf of Guinea,” he explained.

The Offa explosions came just hours after US President Donald Trump announced airstrikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria, particularly Sokoto State.

While there is no official confirmation linking the Offa incident to the US military action, the timing has fueled anxiety among residents.

Police Public Relations Officer for Kwara State, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosions.

As of Friday morning, no casualties had been reported, and the state government has yet to release a detailed statement.

Controversial Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged the Nigerian government to halt all US military intervention in the fight against terrorism, warning that such operations could attract anti-American forces and turn the country into a battlefield.

In a post on his verified Facebook page, Gumi reacted to the recent US airstrikes in Sokoto State, advising that Nigeria instead seek assistance from “neutral” countries such as China, Turkey, and Pakistan.

While acknowledging that combating terrorism is a legitimate Islamic duty, Gumi stressed that such operations must be conducted by “clean, holy hands” rather than foreign powers he described as having a history of killing innocent civilians.

“Annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) wished he annihilated them,” he said, citing Hadith from Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

The cleric warned that allowing US forces to operate on Nigerian soil could worsen security challenges.

“Terrorists don’t fight terrorists; they often kill innocent people and pursue hidden agendas under the guise of counter-terrorism,” Gumi said.

He added that the US justification for its military actions, claiming to protect Christians, could polarize the country along religious lines.

“The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing protection of Christians, risks infringing on our sovereignty and dividing our nation,” he said.

Gumi also criticized the choice of Sokoto as a target, noting that over 90 percent of the population there are Muslims and that the area posed no immediate terrorist threat.”

“He questioned the timing of the strikes, which occurred on Christmas Eve, and suggested that terrorism is often “manufactured and sustained by those claiming to fight it.”

Calling for an immediate cessation of military cooperation with Washington, Gumi emphasized that dropping bombs alone cannot solve Nigeria’s terrorism problem.

“What is needed is serious ground operations, and Nigeria has sufficient personnel to handle that,” he said.

He concluded with a warning for vigilance: “A word is enough for the wise. Nigerians must not be deceived by symbolic foreign military actions.”

The management of ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, has announced the commencement of a comprehensive probe into alleged misconduct involving a staff member, following reports circulating on social media.

In an official statement issued on behalf of the hospital management, the Public Relations Officer said the institution had already begun a “thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation” to establish the facts surrounding the allegation.

“The attention of ESUT Teaching Hospital Management has been drawn to the circulating social media report on alleged misconduct by a member of staff in the hospital,” the statement said.

“Management wishes to assure the general public that a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation has already commenced to ascertain the facts surrounding the allegations.”

The hospital management reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, integrity, and patient welfare, stressing that Parklane Hospital was established to serve the public with compassion and ethical standards.

“Parklane Hospital is a public health institution established to serve the people with professionalism, compassion, and integrity. Service remains our watchword, and the welfare, dignity, and safety of our patients will always remain our highest priority,” the statement added.

Management further warned that any action capable of undermining ethical medical practice would not be tolerated, particularly acts involving patient exploitation or violations of government healthcare regulations.

“It is important to state clearly that any act that undermines ethical medical practice, extorts patients, or violates established government healthcare policies, particularly NHIS guidelines, is taken very seriously by the hospital management,” the statement read.

“Should the investigation reveal any misconduct, appropriate disciplinary measures will be applied in line with civil service rules and medical ethics.”

The hospital also appealed to members of the public to exercise patience and allow due process to take its course, assuring that the outcome of the investigation would be made public.

“We appeal to the public to allow the investigation to run its full course. A comprehensive report will be made public immediately after the hospital management concludes its findings, and all relevant stakeholders will be engaged,” the statement said.

Reiterating its resolve, the management said the hospital remains committed to restoring and sustaining public trust while delivering humane, ethical, and quality healthcare services to the people.

The statement was signed by the Public Relations Officer, ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, on behalf of the hospital management.

Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, has called for the urgent transfer of the leader of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) from Sokoto State.

The call comes in the wake of a U.S airstrike on Christmas Day in Sokoto targeting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) camps, which killed multiple terrorists, according to U.S Africa Command (AFRICOM) in collaboration with Nigerian forces.

Ejimakor argued that the airstrike highlighted the insecurity of Sokoto as a detention site for Kanu, who has been held there since 2021 on terrorism charges.

“The US military strike against terrorists in Sokoto has finally confirmed that Sokoto is riddled with terrorists and thus was never a safe place of custody for MAZI NNAMDI KANU,” Ejimakor said.

“It is now more urgent that he be transferred out of the terrorist belt of Northern Nigeria.”

A Federal High Court in Abuja recently sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on multiple counts of terrorism.

Justice James Omotosho, concluding Kanu’s trial, sentenced him to life imprisonment for counts one, two, four, five, and six of the seven-count charge prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).

For count three, relating to membership in a proscribed terrorist group, Kanu received a 20-year jail term without an option of fine.

On count seven, concerning the unlawful importation of a radio transmitter for the operations of Radio Biafra, which is unregistered in Nigeria, the judge sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

Justice Omotosho, who noted that Kanu had been unruly throughout the trial, said the law permitted a death sentence for the terrorism charges but exercised mercy in his judgment.

He also ordered that Kanu be kept in protective custody anywhere in the country, except Kuje Prison, Abuja, and that the radio transmitter be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The trial had earlier been marked by disruptions.

Justice Omotosho had removed Kanu from the courtroom after he became disruptive during proceedings.

Three fresh motions filed by Kanu were dismissed by the court for lacking merit, and he had objected to the delivery of the judgment, claiming the court could not proceed without his final written address.

Despite the objections, the judge continued and delivered the final judgment in Kanu’s absence.

Residents of Jabo community in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State were thrown into panic on Christmas night following loud explosions believed to be linked to aerial bombardment in the area.

Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred suddenly when an object suspected to be an explosive device fell into the community, triggering a loud blast that sent residents fleeing in fear.

Although no casualties were reported, debris from the explosion reportedly landed close to where people had gathered, heightening anxiety among residents.

Photographs obtained by DAILY GAZETTE showed fragments of objects scattered across the area after the blast.

Residents who spoke on the incident described the moment as terrifying, noting that the explosions echoed across the town and forced many to spend the night indoors amid uncertainty and fear.

The development followed an announcement by United States President Donald Trump that US forces had launched airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in North-West Nigeria.

A government source disclosed that the strikes were coordinated through Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser, led by Nuhu Ribadu, with intelligence units working closely with the United States Africa Command to identify and target ISIS-linked elements.

However, details of the operation, including the number of targets hit and the scale of the bombardment, remain unclear.

There were also confirmed reports of an explosion on the outskirts of Jibo village, also in Tambuwal Local Government Area, further fuelling concerns among residents about the scope of the air operations.

Chinua Soludo, son of the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has cleared the medical bills of several patients in different hospitals across the state as part of activities marking the 2025 Christmas celebration.

The outreach, carried out on Thursday, took him to hospitals in Anaocha, Idemili South and Aguata Local Government Areas, where he paid outstanding bills for patients and assisted some with transportation fares to enable them return home for the festive season.

The hospitals visited included St. Joseph Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; Nnobi General Hospital; and Ekwulobia General Hospital.

During the visits, Soludo urged Nigerians to show compassion, kindness and love to the less privileged, especially those receiving medical care during the festive period, stressing that Christmas should be a time of hope and shared joy.

At St. Joseph Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu, several patients had their medical bills settled, while some were also given transport money to reunite with their families.

One of the beneficiaries, who had been detained after discharge over an unpaid bill of N933,500, was released after Soludo paid the full amount and provided transport assistance.

Speaking during the outreach, Soludo said Christmas was a period meant for spreading love and happiness, particularly to the needy, sick and vulnerable members of society.

“For me, Christmas means reaching out to those who need help the most, the sick, the less privileged and abandoned children. They deserve to feel loved and included in the celebration,” he said.

At the Nnobi General Hospital, Soludo cleared a bill of over N120,000 for a patient treated for acute malaria, enabling the individual to return home in time for Christmas.

He also visited Ekwulobia General Hospital, where nearly 10 women benefited from the gesture, with their medical bills paid and transport fares provided.

The outreach reportedly moved many of the beneficiaries to tears, with Soludo himself visibly emotional during some of the encounters.

This is not the first time Chinua Soludo has embarked on such humanitarian efforts.

Around the same period last year, he reportedly visited the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Awka, where he paid the medical bills of several patients as part of his Christmas outreach.

Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticised the recent United States airstrikes on suspected terrorist camps in north-western Nigeria, warning that the operation could deepen national divisions and undermine the country’s sovereignty.

Gumi’s reaction follows an announcement by US President Donald Trump that American forces carried out what he described as “numerous deadly strikes” against Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria.

The Federal Government later confirmed that the operation was conducted jointly, with Nigeria providing intelligence support.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the collaboration involved intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, stressing that the strikes complied with international law and respected Nigeria’s sovereignty while prioritising civilian protection and national unity.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Gumi acknowledged that eliminating terrorists is consistent with Islamic teachings but argued that such actions should be carried out internally rather than by foreign powers.

He said terrorist groups should be confronted by what he described as “clean hands,” adding that the involvement of foreign countries with a history of civilian casualties could worsen the situation.

Gumi called on the Federal Government to suspend military cooperation with the United States and instead explore partnerships with what he described as neutral countries such as China, Turkey and Pakistan.

According to him, foreign military intervention could turn Nigeria into a theatre of global conflict and attract anti-US forces into the country.

“No nation should allow its territory to become a battlefield, and no nation should allow its neighbours to become its enemies,” he said.

“If Nigeria requires assistance, countries like China, Turkey and Pakistan can provide it without the baggage of imperial ambitions.”

The cleric also argued that aerial bombardments alone cannot resolve Nigeria’s security challenges, insisting that effective counter-terrorism requires sustained ground operations, which Nigeria already has the manpower to conduct.

He further urged communities affected by the airstrikes to document and share evidence of any civilian casualties.

Gumi also criticised the decision to carry out the strikes in Sokoto State, a predominantly Muslim area, describing it as symbolic and potentially provocative.

He questioned the focus on the region, arguing that areas such as Maiduguri face more immediate security threats.

According to him, framing the operation as a move to protect Christians risks inflaming religious tensions and politicising insecurity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Investigations and reactions to the airstrikes continue amid growing public debate over foreign military involvement in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.