LAGOS – Nigerian military forces conducting an airstrike against a village marketplace have reportedly killed more than 200 civilians in what marks another tragic incident where non-combatants became casualties during operations targeting militant organizations.
This devastating attack represents just one example in a troubling pattern of civilian deaths resulting from military air operations across Nigeria. The following timeline shows recent incidents where innocent people lost their lives during military strikes:
In April 2026, Nigerian fighter jets bombed a village marketplace while chasing Islamic extremists in the country’s northeastern region, resulting in at least 200 feared casualties according to local officials and community members who spoke on Sunday following Saturday evening’s attack.
During January 2025, Nigeria’s Air Force launched an investigation into reports of non-combatant deaths during bombing operations that targeted criminal gangs in the nation’s northwest region. Local residents reported to Reuters that no fewer than 15 innocent people died, including community security personnel.
The military admitted in December 2024 that bombing raids aimed at a Lakurawa terrorist cell’s compound in northwestern Sokoto state resulted in 10 civilian deaths due to secondary explosions that followed the initial strike.
September 2024 saw at least 24 people lose their lives when military aircraft bombed a community in Kaduna state while conducting operations against criminal organizations and their strongholds.
An April 2024 military operation targeting kidnapping syndicates and their bases in northwestern Zamfara state killed at least 33 villagers during the Eid holiday celebration.
In December 2023, military drone attacks in northern Kaduna state claimed the lives of at least 85 individuals, including women and children. President Bola Tinubu ordered a full investigation, leading to court-martial proceedings against two military personnel.
January 2023 witnessed the deaths of numerous ethnic Fulani cattle herders during aerial bombardment in central Nasarawa state as they were retrieving livestock from government authorities in an adjacent state. The Nigerian Air Force later accepted responsibility for this incident, which became the focus of a Reuters investigative report.
