MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Nigerian military officials have acknowledged an accidental strike that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 civilians during an operation aimed at militant groups in the country’s northeast region.
The tragic incident occurred Saturday when an air force operation targeting extremist fighters instead hit a marketplace in Yobe state, close to the Borno state boundary where insurgent activity has plagued communities for more than ten years.
Amnesty International reported that survivors confirmed the death toll reached at least 100 people in the bombing, with children among the victims.
“We have their pictures and they include children,” said Isa Sanusi, who directs Amnesty International’s Nigeria operations, when speaking with The Associated Press about the casualties.
“We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital,” Sanusi explained. “We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims.”
Medical staff at Geidam General hospital in Yobe confirmed that no fewer than 23 wounded individuals from the bombing were being treated at their facility. The hospital employee requested anonymity since they lacked permission to discuss the matter publicly.
These types of accidental strikes occur frequently throughout Nigeria, where armed forces regularly launch aerial operations against militant organizations that have established control over extensive wilderness areas. Since 2017, mistaken bombings have claimed the lives of at least 500 non-combatants, based on Associated Press records of documented fatalities. Military experts attribute these errors to gaps in intelligence collection and inadequate communication between ground forces, aircraft, and other parties involved.
The expansive marketplace situated along the Borno-Yobe boundary is reportedly frequented by Boko Haram extremists purchasing food and other necessities.
Abdulmumin Bulama, who serves with a civilian defense unit that collaborates with Nigerian forces in the northeast, explained that military intelligence had indicated Boko Haram fighters were assembling near the market area while preparing to assault surrounding villages.
“The intel was shared and the Air Force jet acted based on the credible information,” Bulama stated.
Yobe State officials released a statement acknowledging that Nigerian military forces had conducted an operation against a Boko Haram militant stronghold in the region, noting that “some people … who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected.”
The state’s Emergency Management Agency also verified that casualties had occurred “affecting some marketers” and announced the deployment of emergency response personnel to the location.
In their official statement, Nigeria’s military described conducting a successful operation against a “terrorist enclave and logistics hub” used by extremists in the area, claiming to have eliminated numerous militants traveling on motorcycles. The statement made no reference to any accidental civilian casualties but emphasized that motorcycle use remains banned in conflict zones and “any such movements in restricted areas are therefore treated with the utmost seriousness.”
Amnesty International has demanded an independent inquiry into the bombing, criticizing the military for being “fond of” characterizing civilian deaths as bandit casualties.
Nigeria, home to Africa’s largest population, faces widespread security challenges particularly in northern regions, where a decade-long insurgency continues alongside various criminal organizations that conduct kidnapping operations for financial gain.
The most significant Islamic extremist organizations include Boko Haram and a splinter group connected to the Islamic State known as Islamic State West Africa Province. Additionally, the IS-affiliated Lakurawa group operates in northwestern communities along the border with Niger Republic.
