Military defends airstrikes as Zamfara residents allege civilian deaths

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

A major controversy is brewing across Northern Nigeria as the military defends two separate high-stakes aerial operations in Niger and Zamfara States.
While the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and state officials report the neutralization of dozens of terrorists, local witnesses have come forward with harrowing accounts of civilian massacres.
​The Zamfara conflict: “precision strike” vs. market massacre
​In Zamfara State, an aerial bombardment on Sunday in Tumfa village, Zurmi Local Government Area, has sparked outrage.
​ Ibrahim Mashema, a former councillor, reported that NAF fighter jets struck the village around 1:00 pm—the peak of the weekly market.
Witnesses claim over 70 people were killed, many of whom were reportedly young girls and children.
“We are busy burying the dead, an exercise that may take us until Wednesday,” Mashema stated.
Governor Dauda Lawal’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, countered this narrative, asserting that the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma acted on verified intelligence. The administration described the location as a concealed bandit meeting point used to coordinate attacks.
Governor Lawal praised the military for “significant operational successes,” noting the strike disrupted a gathering of notorious leaders.
The Niger operation: DHQ refutes “collateral damage”
​Simultaneously, the Defence Headquarters has moved to clarify a separate operation in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
​Major General Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, confirmed that the Army UAV Command conducted strikes between midnight and 6:00 am on Sunday, targeting enclaves in Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru.
According to military finding,
70 bandits confirmed fatalities in Kusasu alone.
​The DHQ maintains that the local civilian population had voluntarily moved to Sarkin Pawa for safety before the strikes, arguing the zones were “devoid of innocent residents.”
Post-strike intelligence reportedly showed survivors on 200 motorcycles retreating toward Zango—a movement the military says is a “signature of a criminal force,” not civilians.
​The contrast between official statements and local testimonies has created a tense atmosphere of skepticism.