Nigeria Investigate Army Air Attack On Armed Gangs In Fact Killed Dozens Of Civilians

UNSPLASH/Lee Peterson ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA The Nigerian air force is investigating reports of civilian casualties in weekend airstrikes targeting armed gangs.

Soldiers and the air force are increasingly using airstrikes against increasingly large threats in the northwest and central regions posed by armed criminal groups.

Gangs of bandits killed villagers and carried out mass kidnappings.

Nigerian Air Force (NAF) spokesman Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa said late on Sunday, January 12, airstrikes in the northwestern state of Zamfara on Saturday, January 11 targeted bandits.

The air force at that time managed to save the kidnapped victim.

But residents told Reuters 15 civilians, including local security guards, were reported dead.

An investigation into this matter is underway, Akinboyewa said.

Airstrikes have accidentally killed civilians before. In December, 10 people died after military fighter jets chasing bandits mistakenly bombed civilians in the northwestern state of Sokoto.

Akinboyewa said NAF would try to minimize and prevent losses to civilians and civilian infrastructure in its operations.

Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff General Christopher Musa told local television the military was accidentally targeting civilians and Zamfara incidents would be fully investigated.