The Defence Headquarters has rejected reports alleging that civilians were killed during a recent military airstrike on Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The military insisted that there is no verified evidence showing that non-combatants died in the operation carried out on Sunday, maintaining that the strike specifically targeted terrorist elements operating in the area.
The denial follows reports by Agence France-Presse claiming that at least 72 people were killed in the strike, with local sources alleging that many victims were badly mutilated.
A community leader, Garba Ibrahim Mashema, told AFP that the actual casualty figure could be higher because both residents and armed groups regularly patronise the market.
“The actual death toll is hard to establish at the moment. Everybody, residents and bandits, goes to the market. People are at the mercy of the bandits. There is nothing they can do,” he reportedly said.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International claimed the death toll may have exceeded 100, adding that dozens of injured victims were receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.
The rights group further alleged that one affected community conducted a mass burial for about 80 victims following the strike.
Responding to the allegations, Director of Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, speaking through Defence Headquarters spokesman Michael Onoja, said the operation was based on credible intelligence indicating a gathering of high-profile terrorist leaders in the area.
“The strike was carried out in line with international humanitarian law and targeted a confirmed high-level gathering of militant leaders in the village, based on multi-sourced intelligence,” Onoja stated.
He maintained that available operational assessments had not confirmed any civilian casualties.
“No credible, substantiated evidence of civilian casualties has been established through any official assessment or independent verification,” he said.
According to the military, the security conditions in the area and the nature of the operation made immediate verification difficult, but preliminary post-strike assessments indicated that several terrorists were killed.
“The nature of the operation makes immediate casualty verification difficult; however, post-strike assessments indicate that several terrorists were neutralised,” Onoja added.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations in the North-West, where military airstrikes are frequently used against armed bandit groups responsible for kidnappings, killings and attacks on rural communities.
Civilian casualty allegations linked to military operations have repeatedly triggered criticism from local residents and international rights organizations, with growing calls for transparent investigations and stronger safeguards to protect civilians during security operations.
