Mistargeted Airstrike By Nigerian Air Force Kills 20 In Zamfara State

A mistargeted airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force killed at least 20 people, including members of a local vigilante group.

The incident occurred on the night of Saturday in Tungar Kara, a community in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, the hometown of the Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle, Premium Times reported.

At the time of the strike, the Air Force and the victims were reportedly engaged in defending the area against a terrorist attack. Amnesty International condemned the airstrike and urged Nigerian authorities to conduct a swift and impartial investigation.

"The Nigerian authorities must immediately and impartially investigate the Saturday evening air strike that killed at least 20 people at Tungar Kara village of Maradun LGA Zamfara state. Dozens of people injured are currently in critical condition — without access to medical care," it posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

It further said that "the Nigerian authorities' consistent failure to hold the military to account is encouraging impunity and increasingly endangering the lives of the civilians the military is supposed to be protecting."

This latest deadly airstrike, following the Christmas Day strikes in Sokoto State, highlights a troubling trend of the military employing excessive force in situations that may not require such measures.

Local resident Salisu Maradun reported that the vigilantes had assembled with other community members to defend their area when the airstrike occurred. They were in the process of retrieving livestock stolen by bandits when the attack took place. The victims hailed from various nearby communities who had united to protect the region.

Residents reported that at least 20 people were killed in the attack, with several others still unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon.

In November last year, Olusola Akinboyewa, Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), announced that several terrorists, who had established a stronghold in Zamfara and Kebbi States, were killed during an operation named Fansan Yamma.

This operation successfully destroyed a major weapons depot belonging to notorious bandit leader Ado Aleiro and resulted in casualties among his fighters, severely crippling the operational capacity of these criminal groups.