ABUJA, Nigeria — Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said at least 100 civilians were killed when a Nigerian military airstrike hit a market in Tumfa, in northwestern Zamfara state, on Sunday. The claims triggered fresh scrutiny of a partner of the United States military that has a long record of devastating airstrike mishaps.
A Red Cross official in the state confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” died. The military acknowledged the airstrike but dismissed the casualty figures. Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, a spokesman for the Nigerian military, said the target was an armed group and that there was “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties.”
“The frequent military mistakes… can be attributed to loopholes in intelligence gathering as well as insufficient coordination among ground troops, air assets and stakeholders,” said Senator Iroegbu, an Abuja-based security analyst.
Since 2017, airstrikes by Nigeria’s armed forces have killed more than 500 civilians, according to the Lagos research firm SBM Intelligence. The gruesome tally highlights an operational risk few militaries of comparable size have been forced to face. Armed groups in the north — many of them former herders — move rapidly on motorcycles, often using villages and crowds for cover.
“Bandits and terrorists, unlike professional soldiers, don’t respect the rules of engagement,” former President Muhammadu Buhari once said. “They don’t care about killing their hostages if they come under attack.”
Nigerian security forces have in rare cases prosecuted personnel over civilian deaths. Two soldiers were tried in 2024 for an airstrike that killed over 80 civilians in Kaduna state. A promised report into that attack has never been released.
The administration of former President Donald Trump recently deployed U.S. troops and drones to provide intelligence and logistics support to Nigeria’s military. It is unclear if U.S.-provided intelligence was used in the strike. Oluwole Ojewale of the Institute for Security Studies said Nigeria needs “improved investment in pilot training and development as well as upgrades in aircraft and targeting systems.” Building trust with local communities, he added, is critical to help gather intelligence on armed group movements.