At least 16 civilians in Nigeria’s north-western Zamfara State have been killed in a military airstrike, reportedly due to a case of mistaken identity, with the victims believed to have been members of local vigilante groups and civilians protecting their communities from armed criminal gangs.
The airstrikes, aimed at militant groups in the Zurmi and Maradun areas, were conducted by the Nigerian military, which has acknowledged the operation but expressed concern over the civilian casualties. The strikes were said to have successfully eliminated several bandits and led to the rescue of some kidnapped victims.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched an investigation into the reports of civilian casualties, promising a thorough inquiry to confirm the details.
Eyewitnesses, including Sa’idu Ibrahim, a local resident, stated that the victims were returning to their villages after repelling bandits when they were mistakenly bombed.
Rights group Amnesty International condemned the attack, calling the use of airstrikes an unlawful and reckless method of law enforcement. The group also urged Nigerian authorities to conduct an immediate, impartial investigation into the incident.
The ongoing violence in Nigeria’s north-western and central states, perpetrated by powerful criminal gangs known as bandits, has led to widespread insecurity, with villages frequently raided, homes burned, and people abducted for ransom.
Several accidental air strikes have occurred in recent months, including a Christmas Day attack that killed at least 10 civilians in neighbouring Sokoto state.
In 2023, at least 85 civilians, mostly women and children, attending a Muslim religious gathering at a village in Kaduna state were killed after they were mistaken for bandits.
In January 2017, at least 112 people were killed when a jet struck a camp housing 40,000 people who had been displaced by jihadist violence in a town near the Cameroonian border.
