The U.S. Tomahawk strikes on northwest Nigeria illustrate both Washington’s expanding counterterrorism reach in West Africa and the operational risks inherent in long-range precision weapons. 

On December 25, 2025, U.S. forces launched more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated camps in Sokoto State. 

The operation, conducted from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, targeted two camps and was coordinated with Nigerian authorities, who provided intelligence support. U.S. Africa Command said “multiple” ISIS fighters were killed and reported no initial civilian casualties.

Public reporting varies on the scale of the strike. 

Most sources cite at least 12 Tomahawks fired, while The New York Times reported the number exceeded 16. 

Regardless of the precise figure, the aftermath has drawn attention not to the targets destroyed but to the weapons that failed.

By late December 2025, evidence emerged that several Tomahawk missiles malfunctioned and did not detonate on impact. 

At least three unexploded WDU-36/B warheads—each estimated at roughly 310 to 600 pounds of high explosive—were discovered in civilian areas, including parts of Kwara State and Sokoto. 

Photos and videos circulated locally showed intact warheads and debris lying in open terrain, sometimes near populated zones.

Verification came primarily from Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technician and Bellingcat researcher. 

Ball compared the finds to documented Tomahawk failures in earlier conflicts, including the 2017 Syria strikes. 

On January 6, 2026, he confirmed an additional discovery, stating: 

“A fourth unexploded Tomahawk warhead has been found in Nigeria, after the US fired at least 12 on December 25 at ISIS targets.”

The newly identified warhead was located in the Ganaru area of Magama Local Government Area, Niger State, adjacent to the main strike zone. 

Nigerian OSINT analyst @secmxx published images on January 5–6 warning residents that the object was a “600 lb high-explosive warhead” and urging against attempts to dismantle it for scrap.

The failures are attributed to Tomahawk safety mechanisms designed to prevent detonation if the missile deviates significantly from its programmed flight path. 

When triggered, the fuze disables the explosive, reducing the risk of unintended blasts but leaving intact warheads on the ground. 

Based on 12 to 16 missiles launched and four confirmed duds, the implied failure rate ranges from roughly 25% to 33%, a notable figure even if driven by off-target safeguards rather than mechanical defects.

No detonations from the unexploded warheads have been reported, but the presence of such large munitions in civilian areas poses clear hazards. 

Calls have circulated for Nigerian police bomb squads and military engineers to secure and evacuate the sites. 

Neither the U.S. Department of Defense nor Nigerian authorities have publicly addressed the malfunctions or the discovery of the fourth warhead as of January 6, 2026.