The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said a battle damage assessment is still underway following recent joint air strikes carried out by the United States military in collaboration with Nigerian forces.
United States President Donald Trump had announced on Christmas Day that American forces conducted lethal strikes against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria, a development later confirmed by the Federal Government as part of sustained counterterrorism cooperation.
The operation has since generated public debate over its effectiveness.
However, the military said a full account would only be provided after the completion of technical assessments.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, said the assessment process was ongoing and assured that the outcome would be made public in due course.
He explained that intelligence reports had confirmed the presence of terrorist elements in the targeted areas before the strikes were carried out, stressing that such operations were intelligence-driven.
According to him, terrorist groups operate across wide areas and are not restricted to a single location, noting the proximity of the Sahel region to parts of north-west Nigeria.
He added that some operational details were not disclosed at the time for security reasons.
Onoja said the armed forces were closely monitoring the movement of terror elements outside the strike zones and working with field commanders to prevent their infiltration into communities.
He added that civilians were also being sensitised to support security agencies with timely information.
He emphasised that tackling insecurity requires collective responsibility, describing it as a “whole-of-society” approach.
The defence spokesman also appealed to members of the public who may have picked up ammunition or fragments from the operation to return such items to security agencies for safe handling.
On criticisms trailing the joint strikes, Onoja said the Armed Forces would remain focused on their constitutional duties, adding that other relevant agencies were responsible for addressing public commentary on national security issues.
He further disclosed that the arrest of a suspected suicide bomber earlier in the week had disrupted planned terrorist activities, assuring that security agencies were intensifying intelligence-led operations to forestall future attacks.
The military, he said, would sustain offensive operations against terrorist groups into the new year.
Meanwhile, the Borno State Police Command has dismissed claims credited to the Nigerian Army that it arrested a suspected suicide bomber in the state, describing the reports as misinformation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, said the suspect was arrested by the police and is currently in police custody, adding that no active improvised explosive device was recovered.
He cautioned against the spread of unverified information, explaining that items found on the suspect included electrical wires, old phone batteries and scrap materials, not explosive components.