When former President Donald Trump announced Christmas night U.S. airstrikes on alleged Islamic State group targets in Nigeria, AP’s West Africa team mobilized across bureaus and time zones to deliver fast, exclusive and impactful coverage — far ahead of competitors.
Senior Producer Annie Risemberg worked with the U.S. desk to break the initial news and then stayed up overnight, monitoring social media for signs the strikes may have hit populated areas. Soon after, user-generated video surfaced showing a fire and metal debris being carried away. Bangkok-based UGC producer Taimoor Sobhan verified the footage and confirmed the debris was consistent with a U.S. GBU-12 Paveway II strike.
On the ground, Sokoto-based stringers Tunde Omolehin and Aliyu Lawali made a multi-hour trek by car and motorbike to reach Jabo town, where the explosion had occurred. Omolehin sent photos of the blast crater and crowds gathering, which Dakar-based photographer Misper Apawu quickly filed. Lawali gathered witness accounts describing how something passed “like lightning” before bursting into flames.
Reporter Ope Adetayo, based in Lagos, coordinated interviews in real time with Omolehin to ensure the story reflected the full scale of the strike’s impact. Meanwhile, Lagos TV stringer Mansur Ibrahim captured public reaction, ranging from opposition to strong support for U.S. intervention.
The result: AP delivered unmatched photo, video and text coverage with on-the-ground insight and expert verification, outpacing others by hours and, in some cases, days.
Judges praised the team’s quick mobilization, field coordination and compelling storytelling in a challenging and risky environment.
For speed and leaning into the AP’s global footprint, Omolehin, Risemberg, Lawali, Ibrahim, Adetayo, Sobhan and Apawu win this week’s 2nd Best of the Week.
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