Residents inspect the damage after U.S. forces had launched a strike against Islamic State militants in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on December 25, in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, December 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdullahi Dare Akogun/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabABUJA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Nigeria's military urged civilians in the country's northwest on Friday not to keep or tamper with unexploded ordnance found at sites targeted in recent U.S.-backed airstrikes.The alert follows online footage showing locals scavenging debris and unexploded ordnance at strike sites in Sokoto state, sparking fears of deadly blasts.The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.U.S. forces launched a rare strike deep inside Nigeria on December 25 at the request of Nigeria's government, firing 16 GPS-guided munitions from MQ‑9 Reaper drones at two Islamic State-linked camps in Sokoto.Report Ad"We do not expect civilians to pick up or keep such materials," Major General Michael Onoja, director of Defence Media Operations, told reporters on Friday. "We can only appeal to them to return all materials that may prove harmful to them."Onoja said specialized ordnance units within the armed forces were tasked with recovering debris and other remnants from the strikes.Reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab