Kwara Residents Panic As Explosions Destroy Homes Amid U.S. Military Action

Residents of Offa, Kwara State, were thrown into panic late Thursday night after a series of loud explosions destroyed several residential buildings.

The incident comes shortly after United States President Donald Trump announced U.S. airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in parts of Nigeria.

It remains unclear whether the blasts in Offa were linked to the U.S. strikes or were carried out solely by the Nigerian military.

Eyewitnesses reported debris raining from the sky, suggesting a drone-delivered bomb may have caused the explosions.

In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, a large fragment believed to be from a drone bomb was seen on the ground shortly after the blast.

SaharaReporters gathered that at least five houses and several shops were destroyed, with debris scattered across the affected areas.

The footage shows damaged buildings and residents appealing to the Kwara State Government for urgent intervention.

Some residents expressed shock that Offa, a largely peaceful town, would be targeted. “Why would they launch a bomb here?” one resident asked.

Another said, “We saw the drone remnants after it destroyed a house.”

A local vigilante member who visited the scene confirmed the explosions occurred around midnight. “I got there after 12 a.m. and called the Balogun (war chief), who came immediately. We went to the hotel where one of the explosions occurred, and another blast happened near the prayer ground in Ijagbo. Several houses and storey buildings were damaged,” he said, adding that thankfully, no lives were lost.

Authorities have yet to release an official statement, leaving it unclear whether Offa was an unintended target of U.S. strikes or if the explosions were caused by another factor.