Midnight blasts damage buildings in Kwara after Trump announces U.S. strikes on parts of Nigeria
By Sabiu Abdullahi
Residents of Offa in Kwara State were gripped by fear late Thursday night after powerful explosions tore through parts of the town, leaving several homes and shops damaged.
The incident came hours after United States President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out airstrikes against ISIS positions in some parts of Nigeria.
It has not been confirmed whether the explosions in Offa were connected to the reported U.S. military operations or whether they were the result of an action carried out solely by Nigerian security forces.
Witnesses said fragments fell from the sky shortly after the blasts. This development raised suspicions that the explosions may have resulted from bombs delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles.
A large piece believed to be part of a drone bomb was seen on the ground near the affected area.
Information gathered indicated that at least five houses and several shops were damaged. Rubble spread across the neighbourhoods that were hit by the explosions.
Video clips also showed frightened residents appealing to the Kwara State Government to step in and assess the situation.
Some residents expressed confusion over why Offa, known as a peaceful community, would experience such an incident.“Why would they launch a bomb here?” one visibly shaken resident asked. Another added, “We saw the drone remnants after it destroyed a house.”
A member of the local vigilante group who visited the affected areas confirmed that the first explosion occurred around midnight.“I got there after 12 a.m. I called the Balogun (war chief), and he came immediately. We went to the hotel where one of the explosions occurred, but I won’t mention the hotel’s name. The hotel was damaged. Another explosion happened around the prayer ground near Ijagbo in Offa,” he said.
