UN Seeks Probe Into Zamfara Market Air Strike As Military Denies Civilian Deaths

By Tarkaa David and Bidon Mibzar, Abuja

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Wednesday demanded independent investigations into reports that separate air strikes by the Nigerian and Chadian armies in northern Nigeria killed dozens of civilians.

The Nigerian military and the “bandit” gangs it is fighting killed around 100 civilians on Sunday in one of the bloodiest single days of the country’s conflict against armed groups, sources across the country told AFP.

Amnesty International’s Nigeria chapter said Nigerian military airstrikes on a crowded market in northwestern Zamfara State, reportedly controlled by criminal gangs, killed “at least 100 civilians”.

A resident of a nearby village put the death toll at 117.

“I am shocked by reports that Nigerian army air strikes on a market in… Zamfara State killed at least 100 civilians on 10 May and injured many more,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said in a statement.

He also said he was “alarmed and saddened” by reports of high civilian casualties in attacks since Friday by Chadian fighter jets against Boko Haram camps on remote islands in the vast marshland shared by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

The bombardment reportedly killed dozens of Nigerian fishermen working on islands under Boko Haram control, where civilians are forced to pay taxes to the jihadist group.

Footage seen by AFP showed several fishermen with severe burns being treated at a hospital in Bosso, Niger.

“Both Nigerian and Chadian authorities must conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into these disturbing incidents,” Turk said.

The authorities in the two countries must also “ensure that those responsible for any violations are held to account, in accordance with international standards”, he insisted.

The UN rights chief said he had “urgently called on both militaries to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians”.

“Their military operations, including against Boko Haram and the so-called ‘Islamic State West Africa Province’, must be conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” he said. “Civilians and civilian objects must never be the target of attack.”

Rights Commission Demands Accountability

Similarly, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised fresh concerns over the growing number of civilians reportedly killed in military airstrikes across parts of Nigeria, warning that repeated bombardments of local communities and marketplaces are eroding public trust and violating fundamental human rights protections.

The commission specifically demanded explanations from the Nigerian Air Force over what it described as a disturbing pattern of civilian casualties linked to aerial operations targeting insurgents and bandits in conflict-prone areas.

Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, said although the federal government has a constitutional responsibility to combat terrorism and insecurity, security operations must be conducted within the limits of both domestic and international law.

According to him, the increasing reports of women, children and other non-combatants being killed or injured during military air raids raise serious questions about operational safeguards, intelligence accuracy and compliance with humanitarian principles.

The rights body cited recent incidents in Jilli Market in Yobe State, Shiroro Market in Niger State and Tumfa Market in Zamfara State, where airstrikes reportedly claimed civilian lives within a span of two months.

“Nigerians deserve to know why this has become a recurring pattern. In April and May alone, we recorded casualties in Jilli Market in Yobe, Shiroro Market in Niger and Tumfa Market in Zamfara. For how long will this continue?” Ojukwu queried.

He stressed that the principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality and accountability remain central obligations under international humanitarian law and must guide military engagements, particularly in civilian-populated communities affected by conflict.

The NHRC further warned against treating civilian deaths as unavoidable “collateral damage”, urging security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve operational precision and adopt stricter precautionary measures before carrying out aerial offensives.

The commission also called for transparent and independent investigations into all incidents involving civilian casualties from airstrikes, insisting that victims and affected families deserve justice, compensation and psychosocial support.

Ojukwu maintained that national security objectives should not come at the expense of human rights, noting that public confidence in security institutions can only be sustained where accountability, legality and respect for human dignity are upheld.

The commission said it would continue monitoring developments and engaging relevant authorities to ensure greater protection of civilians during ongoing counter-insurgency and anti-banditry operations across the country.

No Civilian Casualties in Zamfara Air Strikes – DHQ

However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied that there were civilian casualties in the airstrike conducted on an identified terrorist location at Tumfa Village, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

A statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the operation conducted on 11 May 2026 targeted a confirmed high-level gathering of terrorist ring leaders at Tumfa Village, a location verified by credible, multi-source human intelligence as a coordination point for planned attacks against innocent civilians.

He explained that the operation was an air interdiction strike, “the nature of which does not permit an immediate and precise ground-level enumeration of casualties”. He insisted that the varying figures presently in circulation, including those attributed to international and local media outlets, are speculative, unverified and do not represent the official position of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“The official position remains that several terrorists were neutralised, as confirmed by a Battle Damage Assessment conducted after the strike.

“Furthermore, the Defence Headquarters wishes to clarify the allegations of civilian casualties as being peddled in some quarters, including by certain international human rights organisations. No credible, substantiated evidence of civilian casualties has been established through any official assessment or independent verification. The identified target was a confirmed terrorist structure, occupied exclusively by armed non-state actors who posed a direct and active threat to civilian lives.”

He therefore called on those making such allegations to rely on verified, concrete evidence rather than unconfirmed social media reports or adversarial sources that undermine legitimate counter-terrorism operations.

He reiterated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria operate at all times under strict Rules of Engagement, in full compliance with the principles of International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in attack. Civilians are never targets, and every operational measure is taken to prevent civilian harm.

He added that ground troops continue to conduct exploitation and clearance operations in the area, and called on the general public to rely solely on verified information released through official Defence Headquarters channels.

He said, “Any incidents of civilian casualties will be communicated to the public appropriately, in line with the CDS directive on professionalism and transparency in the conduct of Armed Forces of Nigeria operations.”