Nigeria’s military has denied reports that civilians were killed during recent airstrikes targeting suspected bandits in parts of Niger State, insisting that the operation was intelligence-driven and focused solely on militant hideouts.
In a statement issued on Monday, Defence spokesperson Michael Onoja said the drone strikes were carried out overnight between May 9 and 10 in the villages of Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu and Kuduru within the Shiroro district.
According to the military, intelligence gathered before the operation indicated that armed criminal groups, commonly referred to locally as bandits, were assembling in the area to coordinate planned attacks.
The military said the strikes successfully targeted identified militant enclaves and achieved their intended objectives.
Onoja disclosed that at least 70 suspected bandits were killed in Kusasu alone, adding that post-strike surveillance later detected surviving fighters regrouping and moving toward nearby Zango village on more than 200 motorcycles.
The statement comes amid renewed scrutiny over the humanitarian impact of military air operations in Nigeria’s conflict-affected regions.
Recent local media reports alleged that civilians may have been among those affected by the latest strikes, reigniting concerns over civilian safety during counterinsurgency operations.
Nigeria continues to battle multiple security threats, including widespread banditry in the northwest and a prolonged Islamist insurgency in the northeast that has lasted for more than 17 years.
The debate over civilian casualties intensified following reports last month that military aircraft mistakenly struck a village market in northeastern Nigeria while pursuing suspected Islamist militants, resulting in significant loss of life.
Responding to the latest allegations, the Defence Headquarters maintained that residents had reportedly relocated from the targeted communities before the operation, reducing the likelihood of civilian presence during the strikes.
However, the military did not indicate whether formal warnings were issued to residents before the operation commenced.
Authorities also confirmed that field units have been instructed to investigate any allegations of civilian harm linked to the operation.
The latest development highlights the continuing challenge faced by Nigerian security forces in balancing aggressive counterterrorism operations with the protection of civilian populations in volatile regions.
