Nigeria: Military Air Strike “Mistakenly” Kills 20 Vigilantes Chasing Armed Militias in Zamfara

At least 20 people were killed over the weekend in Zamfara State after a Nigerian military air strike hit local vigilantes pursuing armed militias. The incident has sparked outrage as it is not the first incident of the military mistakenly firing on civilians during operations.

The strike occurred in the Mani community of Maru Local Government Area, one of the regions most affected by armed banditry in Nigeria’s northwest.

According to Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the air strike was based on intelligence that “a significant number of terrorists were massing and preparing to strike unsuspecting settlements.” He added that some farmers had been killed and civilians, including women and children, were abducted.

However, local accounts contradict the military’s version. Residents said the air force had been called in after bandits raided the villages of Mani and Wabi, carting away cattle and kidnapping over 50 people and kidnapping over 50 people. Vigilantes from Maraya and nearby communities mobilised to recover the stolen livestock and rescue those taken.

We were hit by double tragedy on Saturday. Dozens of our people and several cows were taken by bandits, and those who went after them were attacked by a fighter jet. It killed 20 of them”, Buhari Dangulbi, a resident, said.

Abdullahi Ali, a member of a local hunters’ militia, said the military jet “arrived and started firing” at the vigilantes. Another resident, Ishiye Kabiru, said the group had gone after the bandits when the air strike occurred. Amnesty International has condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

Attacks by bandits clearly warrant a response from the state, but to launch reckless air strikes into villages – again and again – is absolutely unlawful,” the organisation said.

This is not the first time military air operations have targeted civilians. In January, at least 16 vigilantes were killed in a similar strike in Zurmi district, Zamfara. Other such incidents have occurred in some other parts of the country, with little accountability.

As of Monday, the Zamfara State Government and security agencies had yet to release an official statement on the latest incident.

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