Nigeria: Three hotel workers injured in Kwara after debris from foreign airstrike falls on building

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

Three hotel workers in Offa, Kwara State, are receiving medical treatment after debris from a military airstrike believed to have taken place hundreds of kilometres away landed on their workplace on Christmas night.

The incident occurred shortly after 10pm when a loud impact struck a hotel building in the town, damaging part of the structure and leaving staff members injured. The hotel owner said the object appeared to be debris from a missile that went off course during an overseas-backed operation targeting armed groups in northwestern Nigeria.

According to the hotel owner, the debris crashed into an unoccupied room before landing outside the building. Although no guests were harmed, three workers sustained serious injuries during the incident. One staff member reportedly suffered severe psychological trauma and was rushed to a specialist hospital, while another sustained a serious head injury. A third worker was injured in the lower part of the body. All three remain hospitalised.

Authorities had earlier stated that debris from the operation had fallen in parts of the country without causing civilian harm. However, the hotel owner insists that his staff were injured as a direct result of the incident and that the damage to his property is visible.

Security personnel later visited the scene and collected the debris for examination as investigations continue. Police in the state say they are still working to establish full details surrounding how the object reached the area.

The airstrike, carried out on Christmas Day, reportedly targeted armed groups operating in the northwest. Nigeria has been grappling with persistent security challenges linked to extremist and criminal groups, with concerns growing about the wider impact of military operations on civilian areas.