An explosive device burst into flames in Jabo, a town in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, on Thursday night, forcing residents to abandon their homes.

The development, which sparked tension, occurred around 9:30pm, according to witnesses.

Less than two hours after the development, US President, Donald Trump, announced a major operation against terrorists in North West, Nigeria.

Sokoto is one of the states in the North West region.

It is unclear if the operation led to the explosion in Jabo town as Trump did not give details of the airstrike.

An eyewitness, Attahiru Madawaki Jabo, told journalists that the device caught fire after hitting the ground.

“I was at home when we heard a loud sound which shook some of our houses. Immediately the explosive object hit the ground at the outskirt of Jabo town, it burst into fire,” Jabo said.