Massive deception on Trump’s bungled strike, by Dele Sobowale

“The great masses of the people …will more easily fall victims to a great lie than to a small one” – Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945.

It took almost an entire week for me to decide on the topic of this article. It could easily have been titled TRUMP DOESN’T LOVE NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS or TRUMP’S GANG THAT COULD NOT SHOOT STRAIGHT. The second was particularly self-appealing for a reason to be disclosed shortly. But, in the end, it was discarded because most readers might not get the joke. Better to tell my story straight. Nigerians have been massively deceived by President Trump – ably supported by Nigerian government officials – who were too eager to accept Trump’s great lie that the Christmas strikes carried out in various parts of Nigeria were successful “precision strikes”.

In reality, unless the word “precision” has lost its dictionary meaning, the bombs, which landed on open fields in Sokoto, as well as those which tore through residential buildings, before lodging in hotel rooms at Offa, Kwara State, would be more accurately described as tactical blunders; endangering the lives of innocent people instead of the ISIS bandits for which they were intended. Trump, seeking propaganda advantage, did not wait for official reports before laying claim to a resounding victory. Federal Government officials quickly jumped on the bandwagon in order to save themselves the embarrassment of admitting that Trump acted unilaterally. Events, more than a week after, have revealed a Trump unknown to our officials. He is a man whose utterances are frequently fact-checked and found to be untrue; and this has been exposed in several courts in the last four years in the US. Trump’s emergence as US President is emblematic of how much that nation has lost its moral compass.

Don’t believe me; just ask any military officer about missions. Any mission which started on the wrong assumption is already at least a partial disaster. The Christmas Day strikes were based on a half truth and a colossal lie. The half truth was promoted for years by some Christian leaders that bandits committed genocide only against Christians. The colossal lie was based on the assumption that Sokoto, being the seat of the Caliphate, must be the epicenter of ISIS activities. Hence, bombing must start from there. A week after the strikes, Nigerians are still not sure what happened; except that bombs were wasted in Sokoto and Kwara. Here is how failure and uncertainty were reported by Nigerian officials tasked with disentangling the mess left by Trump’s big lie.

DECEPTION ALL AROUND AND SUSPICIOUS MIAs

“O! What a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive” – Sir Walter Scott, 1771-1832.

The narrative keeps changing and remained divergent right from Trump’s first announcement. Yet, as reported in The Journal, on December 29, 2025, there was divergence in the reports issued by different government sources. In reality, from verifiable evidence, the strikes were more symbolic than substantial. Nobody has been able to provide any body count. 

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Michael Onoja, a non-combatant officer, after stating that classified video “confirmed the bombings, the neuralisation of scores of terrorists, and the destruction of their logistics bases”, later said: “Regarding questions about the casualty figures from the 25th December strikes by the US, working in conjunction with the Nigerian military, there is a process of Battle Damage Assessment. We are still in that process. Once that is concluded, we will give you the correct casualty figure.” Hogwash has never been better delivered with a straight face than that. 

I learnt in Primary Three arithmetic in Lagos that a score is 20. Stating that “scores of terrorists” were neutralized also meant that at least 40 – two scores – were eliminated. My request remains the same: Habeas corpus, or produce the bodies.

“Correct casualty figure” can follow. Just show us the bodies and the surrounding areas where they were killed. If possible, take us there. We might need facemasks, but, we are ready to go and verify the claims.

Meanwhile, among the things that don’t make sense about the reports is the matter of two very important persons, VIPs, who can only be called Missing In Action, MIA. The first VIP/MIA is the National Security Adviser, NSA, Malam Nuhu Ribadu. The second VIP/MIA is the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa. Nigerians have not heard from them. That raises a fundamental question regarding whether or not the strikes were joint operations or not. Is it possible for airstrikes to be conducted in a sovereign nation and the National Security Adviser, as well as, the Minister of Defence were unaware of them before the strikes? If the NSA and the MoD were not aware, who then authorized the “joint operation”? President Tinubu was already in Lagos; preparing for the Eyo Festival scheduled for December 27, 2025. Who was watching the gate? None of the statements issued by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Information mentioned the two most important officers who should have been involved in the negotiations for joint action – if that was the intention. It wasn’t. 

TRUMP’S GANG THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT

“Truth eludes us if we do not concentrate total attention on its pursuit” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008.

The result was a mostly failed mission by Trump’s gang that couldn’t shoot straight. The photographs released two days after by VANGUARD and other papers of missiles lodged in farms, un-tarred roads and a hotel in Offa certainly debunk the idea of intelligence-based precision strikes. In fact, they remind some of us of the book, later turned into a film, and released by Jimmy Breslin in 1969. Breslin, one of the finest columnists the world has known, started out as a reporter before writing his bestselling book which demolished the reputation of America’s mafia gunmen as sharp shooters. After meticulous research, Breslin proved that the gangsters spent nine shots to make a direct hit. The rest were lodged in lamp posts, fire hydrants, walls and moving vehicles – among other non-targets.

This article was started on January 1, today is January 5, 2026, and nobody has produced a photograph of precision bombing carried out on Christmas Day. By contrast, the invasion of Venezuela’s Presidential Palace and abduction of its President were on television live a few hours after the event. That is the difference between fact and half fiction. The former does not wait to be processed; the latter does. We are waiting

‘NEW YEAR BLOODSHED IN NIGER STATE: 42 killed in deadly terror attacks’ – VANGUARD, January 5, 2026.

Meanwhile, bandits are not waiting. On January 5, 2006, there was news report by Nigerian papers – together with pictures which don’t need to be processed – demonstrating how little the Christmas bombing has altered the situation in the country.

PROFESSOR YAKUBU AND TEST OF HONOUR

‘Auditor-General flags N288bn spending under Yakubu’ – PUNCH, December 22, 2025.

Ordinarily, an allegation against Professor Yakubu, by the political opposition, would have been dismissed as another attempt to score cheap points by those who lost in the 2023 elections. But, can a query issued by the Auditor-General of the Federation cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be regarded as politically motivated. The amount involved, N288 billion, cannot be dismissed as chicken change. Put in context, that amount could provide solar power for at least three federal teaching hospitals and free them from DISCOs. It could turn one unit into world class.

Granted, allegation is not proof of guilt; and Yakubu would not have had to defend himself unless invited by the ICPC or EFCC. The recent approval of Yakubu’s appointment as an ambassador-designate changed everything.

“An ambassador is an honest man; sent to lie abroad for his country” – Sir Henry Wolton, 1568-1639

Obviously, Wolton thinks very little of the men and women addressed as “Your Excellency”. Despite his cynical view of envoys, he at least granted them some credit by calling them honest. Notwithstanding the auditor’s query, I would like to join Wolton in regarding Professor Yakubu as honest. No concrete evidence has been presented to assume he is guilty of any corrupt practices.

I have another personal reason for taking this position. I was once the recipient of an Internal Auditor’s query alleging that some customers were allowed to collect products without pre-paying according to corporate policy. Thinking that it was a joke, I ignored the query – until a management panel was instituted by the Board of Directors to investigate the matter. Company policy allowed a first time offender to remain in office while the probe was in progress. Otherwise, the officer was on suspension for two weeks.

Sure of myself, I waived the privilege of staying in office and went on suspension.

Fortunately, the fault was traced to an error in the Accounts Department – where a new staff member had failed to credit the customers’ accounts.

My advice to Professor Yakubu is simple. He should request that his posting as ambassador be shelved until he clears himself of the allegations of dishonesty. Nigeria cannot afford to send an “honest man” to lie abroad for his country.

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