Deadly Airstrikes in Borno Expose Tinubu Government’s Focus on Benin Deployment Over Proper Air Force Training

A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet has reportedly mistakenly bombed civilians in Mararaba, Borno State, killing fishermen and commercial drivers, according to Premium Times. The victims were going about their daily activities when the strike occurred, while official military statements are still pending confirmation.

This tragedy adds to a troubling pattern of mistaken air operations by the Nigerian military, particularly in the North, where airpower is frequently used in operations against terrorists, bandits, and criminal elements.

There have been dozens of recorded ‘accidental’ airstrikes over recent years that have killed civilians, with some estimates suggesting hundreds of non‑combatants have died since the conflict began.

One of the most notorious cases was the bombing of a displaced persons camp in Rann, Borno State, in January 2017, when a Nigerian Air Force jet appeared to mistake the camp for an extremist encampment, killing at least 115 people and injuring scores more. Other high-profile incidents include mistaken strikes in Kaduna State in late 2023 that killed dozens at a religious gathering and accidental air attacks in Sokoto State in December 2024 that claimed civilian lives.

Over 470 civilians may have been killed by mistaken airstrikes in Nigeria over the past decade. These repeated mistakes point to deeper problems with training, intelligence, and operational oversight. If the Air Force cannot reliably distinguish between armed groups and civilians, then its aircraft should not be deployed over populated areas. An incompetent air force shouldn’t be deployed where innocent lives are at stake.

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The Nigerian Air Force has defended its operations as essential to efforts to combat insurgency, banditry, and criminal gangs. The faulty intelligence, poor coordination, and lack of safeguards continue to endanger civilians.

The latest incident comes amid broader regional repositioning by Nigeria’s military. Earlier this month, Nigerian air assets were deployed to the Benin Republic on French command following a failed coup attempt, a move that heightened tensions with neighbouring countries and the Alliance of Sahel States. The deployment drew reactions online, with Nigerians questioning why foreign missions receive urgent attention while internal insecurity, banditry, kidnappings, and terrorism remain unresolved.

Deploying the same air assets responsible for previous domestic mistakes to foreign operations raises concerns. If the Air Force cannot reliably conduct operations at home, sending jets abroad risks both operational failure and further civilian casualties.

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