At least six civilians have lost their lives in a tragic incident involving an army jet in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state, as confirmed by local residents. Reports indicate that the aircraft mistakenly targeted a group of huts on the outskirts of Zakka village while pursuing criminal gangs in the area. This airstrike occurred following an earlier attack on a police base in the village, which resulted in the deaths of two police officers and a vigilante assisting them.
Eyewitness accounts reveal that the military jet circled Zakka village after the bandits had already retreated before launching its deadly attack on the civilian structures that were home to a family. Muntari Sada, a resident of Zakka who attended the funeral of the victims, stated that six members of the family were killed in the strike. He mentioned the gruesome task of collecting their dismembered body parts for burial, a reflection of the devastating impact of this tragic error.
This account was corroborated by two other residents who reported the same casualty figures. However, Amnesty International has claimed a higher toll, suggesting that the death count could be as high as ten. The organization has called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the incident, highlighting the urgent need for accountability in such tragic occurrences.
The Nigerian military, which has been actively combating criminal gangs known locally as bandits for several years, has not yet responded to requests for comments on the incident. These gangs have been notorious for terrorizing communities in northwestern and central Nigeria, engaging in violent raids, abductions for ransom, and arson.
This incident is not isolated but part of a troubling pattern of military airstrikes leading to civilian casualties in the region. Notably, in January, another airstrike mistakenly killed at least 16 people in Zamfara state when the military targeted what they believed were criminal elements but ended up striking local vigilantes instead. Additionally, a December airstrike in Sokoto state resulted in 10 fatalities and several injuries when it mistakenly hit two villages.
In one of the deadliest errors, a Nigerian military airstrike in December 2023 claimed the lives of at least 85 individuals, mainly women and children, when a gathering for religious purposes was misidentified as a bandit assembly. Furthermore, back in January 2017, a catastrophic military operation led to the deaths of 112 people at a camp that housed displaced individuals affected by jihadist violence in Rann, near the Cameroon border.
These grim events raise critical questions about the protocols and decisions that guide military operations in conflict zones, emphasizing the urgent necessity for stringent measures to ensure protection for innocent civilians amidst ongoing security challenges.
