Ex-UN military chief explains reach, cost of US missiles in Sokoto on Inside Sources

Retired Major General Anthony Atolagbe has provided fresh insight into the sophistication and reach of the United States’ military operation that reportedly targeted terrorist elements in Sokoto State, explaining that the strike could have been carried out from thousands of kilometres away using Tomahawk cruise missiles. Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels […]

Retired Major General Anthony Atolagbe has provided fresh insight into the sophistication and reach of the United States’ military operation that reportedly targeted terrorist elements in Sokoto State, explaining that the strike could have been carried out from thousands of kilometres away using Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Sunday, the former Commander of Operation Safe Haven said the Tomahawk missile is a long-range, precision-guided weapon capable of striking targets far beyond Nigeria’s borders if launched from the country’s coastline.

“We are talking about a Tomahawk deployed from about a thousand kilometres away from where it is supposed to hit the target,” Atolagbe said. “We are talking about deployment over the Gulf of Guinea. This is a weapon that can cover a distance of about 1,000 to 1,550 miles.”

He noted that the missile’s range is vast enough to cover territory equivalent to almost twice the size of Nigeria, stressing that a launch from the coast of Lagos could theoretically reach as far as Mali or even Tunisia.

“At that range, you are talking about twice the size of Nigeria. From the coast of Lagos, it can cover as far as Mali or Tunisia,” he added.

Atolagbe further explained that the Tomahawk travels at a speed of about 800 miles per hour, which is close to the speed of sound, making it extremely difficult to detect and intercept once launched.

“This is a missile that is moving at a speed of about 800 miles per hour. That is almost the speed of sound,” he said, underscoring the technological edge involved in such operations.

The retired general also revealed that Nigerian military assets were actively involved in ensuring the success of the operation, particularly through surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

According to him, Nigerian Alpha Jets and helicopters were placed on standby to monitor the area and prevent any form of interference or disruption during the strike.

“The Nigerian Alpha Jets and helicopters were also on standby, doing reconnaissance around the area to prevent any interruption or disturbances to the operation,” Atolagbe said.

His comments come amid heightened public interest and debate following reports of recent US air strikes on terrorist-linked targets in parts of northern Nigeria, including Sokoto. The strikes are believed to be connected to broader international efforts to degrade the operational capabilities of Islamic State-linked groups and other extremist networks expanding across the Sahel and West Africa.

Atolagbe, a veteran of the United Nations–African Union Hybrid Mission in Sudan (UNAMID), said the operation reflects growing intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and its international partners, especially in tackling transnational terrorism that threatens regional stability.

Atolagbe said the strikes did not come as a surprise to informed security watchers, noting that several warning signals had emerged months earlier. According to him, the United States’ decision to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over religious freedom violations heightened expectations of possible future actions.

“There were warnings. All these provided the credibility of the expectation of a future action,” Atolagbe said.

“There were plannings going on at AFRICOM, and by late November, there was a noticeable increase in US intelligence activities. There was also intelligence coordination between Nigerian government personnel and their American counterparts.”

The retired general explained that the intelligence surge coincided with a spike in terrorist attacks targeting civilians and security forces across parts of Nigeria and the wider Sahel, reinforcing the urgency of external intervention.

Atolagbe shed light on the transnational nature of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), describing the group as deeply embedded within a vast and difficult terrain spanning several North African and Sahelian countries.

“ISWAP is based within a triangle between the borders of Niger, Mali, and Algeria,” he said.

“From the lower part of Algeria, that is where their base is actually located. But they operate within what we call a triangle. From there, they filtered into Mali and started supporting the Tuaregs that were fighting the Malian Defence Forces.”

Drawing from personal experience, Atolagbe recalled multiple confrontations with ISWAP fighters during his deployment in Mali, underscoring the group’s operational reach and battlefield resilience.

“When we were in Mali, we had confrontations with ISWAP so many times,” he said. “The first time I was exposed to the scale of this threat was during preparations for a security conference in Mauritania.”

He explained that in 2013, Mauritania was scheduled to host a high-level conference of the G5 Sahel countries—Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad—aimed at coordinating regional responses to terrorism and insurgency.

The deliberations, he noted, highlighted early signs of ISWAP’s expansion beyond Nigeria and its growing links with armed groups across the Sahel.

According to Atolagbe, the group’s ability to exploit porous borders, vast desert spaces and weak state presence has allowed it to survive military pressure and reposition itself across multiple countries.

He stressed that the recent US air strikes reflect a broader international recognition that terrorism in the Sahel and Nigeria is no longer a localised problem but a regional and global security threat requiring coordinated intelligence, sustained military pressure and political commitment from affected states.

Atolagbe urged Nigerian authorities to deepen intelligence-sharing arrangements, strengthen border security and invest in long-term stabilisation measures, warning that military action alone would not be sufficient to dismantle terror networks operating across the Sahel.

“The intelligence was there, the coordination was there, and the actions followed,” he said. “What remains now is for regional governments to sustain the momentum and ensure that these groups are denied the space to regroup and strike again.”