General
Defence HQ Denies Civilian Casualties in Niger State Weekend Airstrikes
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Defence Headquarters on Monday denied reports of civilian deaths from airstrikes on suspected bandits in the Niger State over the weekend.
The Defence HQ said the strikes were intelligence-led and hit only militant targets in the state.
The Defence spokesperson, Major-General Michael Onoja, said drone strikes carried out overnight between May 9 and 10 targeted the villages of Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu and Kuduru in the Shiroro district after intelligence indicated that armed gangs, known locally as bandits, were gathering to plan attacks.
The denial came in response to reports in local media (excluding Business Post) alleging civilian casualties and reinforced longstanding concerns about the impact on local communities of airstrikes in Nigeria’s conflict zones.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to battle banditry and terrorism in the North, which is reportedly spreading southwards, as tensions in the Sahel continue.
Last month, around 200 people were killed after military jets struck a village market while pursuing Islamist militants in the North East.
In the latest airstrikes, Mr Onoja said at least 70 suspected bandits were killed in Kusasu alone.
He added that post-strike intelligence indicated that surviving fighters were regrouping, with more than 200 motorcycles moving toward nearby Zango village.
“The strikes were precisely targeted at identified terrorist enclaves and achieved their intended military objectives,” Mr Onoja said, adding that residents had relocated to another village beforehand, limiting the likelihood of civilian presence.
He, however, didn’t say whether civilians were given a warning of strikes.
The military has ordered field units to investigate any claims of civilian harm, Mr Onoja said.
