Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has denied reports of civilian deaths following military airstrikes in Niger state, insisting the operation targeted only armed groups. Defence spokesperson Major-General Michael Onoja said drone strikes carried out overnight between May 9 and 10 were intelligence-led and hit suspected bandits in several villages, including Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu and Kuduru in the Shiroro district.
According to Major-General Onoja, intelligence indicated that armed gangs known locally as bandits were gathering to plan attacks, prompting the military action. The military has stated that approximately 70 bandits were killed in the operation, which used drones rather than manned aircraft.
However, controversy has emerged over potential civilian casualties. Some villagers have come forward to report that around 13 residents were killed in one particular village, Gurangi, within the Shiroro local government area.
The commissioner for home security in Niger state has issued a statement backing the military’s account, asserting that no civilians were involved. The commissioner further stated that any civilians remaining in the area would be considered informants or collaborators with terrorists, noting that villagers were reportedly informed in advance of the operation and told to leave. According to this account, anyone who stayed back was considered to be working with terrorist elements.
Major-General Onoja said the strikes were carried out after confirmation from intelligence sources on the ground, with the military maintaining that intended targets were successfully hit. The defence spokesperson noted that the operation was deemed necessary because approximately 200 bandits were seen converging from different directions, and the military feared they would overrun military formations in the Shiroro local government area, which is known as a bandit enclave.
The military has stated that no civilians were deliberately targeted and expressed surprise that some people remained in the area despite evacuation warnings. Nonetheless, the military has asked various formations in the local government area to investigate claims that civilians were killed.
The incident comes less than a month after airstrikes in Borno state that reportedly killed scores of people. In recent years, Nigeria’s military has faced growing scrutiny over airstrikes that reportedly killed civilians during operations against armed groups. Last month, local officials reported over 200 dead in airstrikes on Jille Market in Yobe that were meant to take out insurgents. In January 2025, a military strike targeting bandits killed 15 civilians in Zamfara state, with similar incidents reported in Sokoto, Kaduna, and Zamfara in 2024. Rights groups and local communities have repeatedly called for greater accountability and improved safeguards to prevent civilian casualties in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaign.
