Kwara hotel hit by debris from US airstrike injures staff
A hotel owner in Offa, Kwara State has claimed that debris from recent United States airstrikes targeting militants in northwest Nigeria struck his establishment and injured some of his staff on Christmas Day. The owner of the Solid Worth Hotel, Taofeek Azeez Bello, told news agencies that late in the evening on December 25, an object believed to be part of a missile from the US military fell onto the hotel property. Bello said the object landed inside the building, causing structural damage and injuring three workers, one of whom suffered what he described as a traumatic injury and was taken to a psychiatric hospital, while others were hurt in the head and legs and are receiving treatment in hospital. Bello’s account also noted that the debris struck an unoccupied room before coming to rest outside the hotel, and no guests were reported injured at the time. Kwara State police said that investigations into the incident are ongoing. The Nigerian government and presidential spokesman reiterated that official statements describe no civilian casualties from the US airstrike operations, stressing that the strikes were aimed at militant targets linked to the Islamic State group in Sokoto State. Nigerian authorities have acknowledged that debris from expended munitions fell in various locations including parts of Kwara State, but maintain that the main purpose of the military action was to neutralise extremist threats as part of coordinated counterterrorism efforts. The incident in Offa has heightened concerns about unintended effects of foreign military operations on civilian areas and the need for clear information on such strikes and their impact on local communities.
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