Latest News
No credible evidence’: Nigerian military opens up on allegedly bombing over 100 people in Zamfara
Reports emerged on Tuesday, May 12, that about 100 people were killed by military airstrike on the community, as part of efforts to stamp out insurgents in Nigeria.
Amnesty International said that many of the victims were women and girls trading at the market.
The organisation also claimed that one of the affected villages buried 80 people at once.
Dozens of injured persons were taken to hospitals in Zurmi and Shinkafi, while others were referred to Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau, Amnesty International said.
However, Michael Onoja, spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, dismissed claims that civilians were affected by the operation.
He said the strike was carried out in line with international humanitarian law and targeted a “confirmed high-level gathering” of militant leaders in the village, based on multi-sourced intelligence.
“No credible, substantiated evidence of civilian casualties has been established through any official assessment or independent verification,” Onoja said.
He added that the nature of the operation made immediate casualty verification difficult, but noted that a post-strike assessment indicated that “several terrorists were neutralised”.
The incident is the second reported deadly airstrike on a market in northern Nigeria within a month.
In April 2026, a similar strike in Jilli on the Borno-Yobe border allegedly killed scores of civilians. Previous military operations in Zamfara have also sparked disputes over civilian or vigilante deaths, raising recurring concerns about intelligence accuracy, target verification, and civilian protection.
Related
