ABUJA, Jan 17 – A Nigerian airstrike has resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians, including members of a vigilante group, in the northwestern town of Tungar Kara, raising concerns about the military’s strategy in combating criminal gangs.
On Saturday, the airstrike, which the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) claimed was aimed at an armed group of bandits, struck the town while vigilantes were preparing to confront the gang. Residents say the bombing targeted civilians rather than the criminal elements hiding in a nearby forest.
Salihu Usman, a vigilante who narrowly survived the attack, described hearing the roar of a jet before a blast sent him to the ground, severely injuring him. He expressed his growing distrust of the military, stating, “Bandits kill us, and the military bombed us from the sky.”
The NAF, in a statement issued on Monday, denied hitting civilians and promised to investigate the incident. However, locals like farmer Haliru Attahiru question the military’s narrative. “How do you come to bomb people in the town and not in the forest?” Attahiru asked, pointing out that the bandits were believed to be in the forest, not the town.
This attack follows a similar incident in December, when an airstrike killed 10 civilians in Sokoto state, with the governor labeling it a mistake. Experts warn that repeated civilian casualties from military airstrikes could damage public trust in the government’s efforts to combat bandits.
