Hotel Owner Claims Debris from US Airstrike Injured Staff in Kwara

A A hotel owner in Kwara State has claimed that debris from a United States airstrike targeting militants in northwest Nigeria struck his hotel in Offa, injuring three members of staff. The incident allegedly occurred on Christmas Day following a surprise US raid aimed at militants linked to the Islamic State group.

The airstrike, according to sources in Abuja and Washington, targeted militant positions in Tangaza district of Sokoto State. While the Federal Government acknowledged that debris from the munitions fell in several locations, including an area near a hotel in Offa, it maintained that no civilian casualties were recorded.

However, the owner of Solid Worth Hotel, Taofeek Bello, disputed the official account, insisting that three of his workers sustained injuries after what he described as a missile strike on his property. Offa is located about 800 kilometres away from the strike targets in Sokoto State.

“Suddenly on Christmas Day, around late evening past 10 pm, a bomb missile allegedly shot by the US military—maybe it misrode and hit my hotel,” Bello told AFP. “It landed inside the hotel building, caused a little bit of damage, injured three staff,” he added.

Bello said the injured workers were immediately taken to hospital, noting that their conditions were serious. According to him, one staff member suffered a “traumatic” injury and was rushed to a psychiatric hospital, another sustained a severe head injury, while a third was injured in the legs and lap. All three, he said, remain hospitalised.

He further explained that the debris hit an unoccupied room in the 22-room, two-star hotel before landing outside the building. Bello noted that only two rooms were occupied at the time of the incident and that no guests were injured.
Photographs shared by the hotel owner reportedly showed what appeared to be a missile head being examined and later collected by security operatives. Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command told AFP that investigations were still ongoing.

“As of this moment, there are no details yet. Investigations are ongoing,” the police said.
Reacting to the controversy, Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reiterated the Federal Government’s position, stating that “there were no casualties except the terrorist(s).” The differing accounts have continued to raise questions as investigations into the incident proceed.