IN SHORT: After Donald Trump accused Nigeria of allowing Christian persecution, without giving any evidence for this, social media posts have claimed US airstrikes caused explosions in Kaduna in northwestern Nigeria. But there are no credible reports, government statements, or media evidence supporting this false claim.
On 31 October 2025, US president Donald Trump accused Nigeria of allowing the persecution of Christians. He did not provide any evidence for his claim but warned of possible US military action against the country.
The Nigerian government has rejected his comments, saying that the country does not support religious persecution and that both Christians and Muslims face insecurity.
It’s in this context that some Facebook users began spreading claims that heavy explosions had been heard in central Kaduna in the northwest of Nigeria, allegedly from US airstrikes on terrorist bases.
One post reads: “Heavy expl0sions are reported in Central Kaduna following alleged U.S. airstr|kes on suspected terror!st bases. Sources say the att£cks were sudden and precise, catching local forces unprepared. Unconfirmed reports suggest sites linked to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and Nasir El-Rufai were among those hit, as residents describe seeing ‘f!re and chaos’ across the city.”
Kaduna is in a region that has experienced repeated attacks from terrorist groups.
Some posts also claim that areas linked to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and Kaduna's former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, were targeted, as residents reportedly described seeing “fire and chaos”.
Gumi is a Nigerian Islamic scholar who serves as the mufti at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna. He is mostly known for his controversial role in negotiating with bandits.
The same claim was found here, here, here and here.
But has Kaduna been hit by US airstrikes? We checked.
No evidence for claims
An explosion in Kaduna would be a matter of national security and would have been reported in the media with images and videos of the explosion. But none of the social media posts link to any credible media reports or give any details that could lead the reader to more information.
The absence of news reports is a red flag. If the US had attacked “terrorist” bases in Kaduna, it would have made international headlines.
Trump posted his initial claims about Nigeria on his social media accounts, including Instagram and Truth Social, saying he would send the US military into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to wipe out “Radical Islamists”. But at time of publication he had not posted about any actual military incursions or airstrikes.
The Nigerian government responded to Trump’s initial claims, but has made no mention of any explosion in Kaduna or elsewhere in the country.
This is yet another instance of misinformation that surfaced following Trump’s claims about Christian persecution in Nigeria.
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