A strike by the Nigerian Air Force aimed at jihadi rebels accidentally struck a local market in northeastern Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of over 100 civilians, including children, and injuring many more, according to reports from local media and a rights organization on Sunday. Officials acknowledged a misfire but did not release further details.
Amnesty International reported that survivors indicated at least 100 individuals lost their lives in the airstrike on Saturday, which targeted a village in Yobe state, close to the Borno state border, a region heavily affected by a longstanding jihadi insurgency.
“We have photographs of the victims, some of whom are children,” Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, stated to The Associated Press, referring to the fatalities.
“We are communicating with people on the ground; we’ve talked to the hospital,” he mentioned. “We’ve also communicated with the individual overseeing the casualty reports and with the victims.”
An employee at Geidam General Hospital in Yobe reported that at least 23 individuals injured in the incident were receiving medical care. The employee requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak to the press.
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Such accidental strikes are frequent in Nigeria, where military air raids are aimed at combating armed groups that have taken control of extensive forest areas. Since 2017, at least 500 civilians have died in similar misfires, according to an AP tally of reported casualties. Security experts cite deficiencies in intelligence gathering and inadequate coordination among ground forces, air units, and other stakeholders.
The large, isolated market situated near the Borno-Yobe border is frequently utilized by Boko Haram militants for obtaining food supplies.
Abdulmumin Bulama, a member of a civilian defense group collaborating with the Nigerian military in the northeast, mentioned that there was intelligence indicating Boko Haram militants were gathered very close to the market and allegedly planning attacks on surrounding communities.
“The intelligence was relayed, and the Air Force acted upon the credible information,” Bulama stated.
The Yobe State Government confirmed in a statement that the Nigerian military strike was targeting a Boko Haram stronghold in the region and that “some individuals who attended the Jilli weekly market were impacted.”
The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency also recognized that an incident occurred resulting in “casualties affecting some marketers,” stating it had sent response teams to the site.
The military of Nigeria released a statement asserting that a successful strike was conducted on a “terrorist enclave and logistics hub” tied to jihadi elements in the area, claiming to have killed numerous militants on motorcycles. No details were provided regarding a potential misfire, but the statement noted that motorcycles are banned in conflict zones, and “any movements in restricted areas are treated with utmost seriousness.”
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Amnesty International has urged for an independent investigation into the incident, remarking that the military tends to categorize civilian casualties as bandits.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is grappling with a multifaceted security crisis, particularly in the north, where a decade-long insurgency persists along with multiple armed factions engaging in ransom kidnappings.
Prominent among the Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its offshoot, which is linked to the Islamic State group and identified as the Islamic State West Africa Province. Additionally, there is the IS-related Lakurawa group operating in northwestern communities bordering Niger Republic.
