At least two objects believed to be explosives have landed in two locations in Offa town, Kwara State.
The objects were discovered Thursday night after residents heard a loud thud, prompting fears of a possible explosion.
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Local journalists in the town told our reporter that the objects hit the Eid ground and the Solid Worth Hotel in Ijagbo Offa. The objects, however, did not detonate.
The level of destruction remains unclear as of press time.
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The chairperson of Offa Local Government Area, Suleiman Omituntun, confirmed the incident in a statement by his spokesperson, Abiola Babatunde.
Mr Babatunde said his principal has visited the area to assess the situation.
“The Executive Chairman urges all residents to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding,” the statement read. “Citizens are advised to verify information through credible and official sources to avoid spreading fear.”
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Some parts of Kwara have witnessed terrorist activities in recent months, but Offa is not one of them. Communities in Ifelodun, Patigi, Edu, Kaiama and Baruten LGAs have been repeatedly attacked by terrorists.
The incident in Offa was reported hours after the United States launched airstrikes against suspected ISIS terror camps in Sokoto State.
Sokoto and Kwara share no boundaries and have at least two large states between them.
According to a statement by US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the strikes in Sokoto were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities. AFRICOM’s initial assessment indicated that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed.
The commander of the command, Dagvin Anderson, said the strikes were part of efforts to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation and curb violence against civilians.
No established link
While the timing of the Offa incident has fueled public concern, no official link has been established between the objects found in the town and the US airstrike in Sokoto.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the US strike involved more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles fired off a Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea.
However, a security analyst said the Tomahawk could easily develop faults.
READ ALOS: US AFRICOM says many terrorists killed in Sokoto bombing
“Tomahawk missiles can develop issues and miss their target because the missile is powered by a solid propellant booster for launch, followed by a turbofan engine for its main flight,” Shehu Umar, a security analyst, posted on Facebook.
“If the bomb fragments in Kwara are confirmed to be from the US Tomahawk missile, then the missiles did not hit its intended targets in Sokoto, the reason why the bomb fell on an empty farmland,” he added.
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