Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian military has again denied allegations that civilians were killed during a recent air and ground operation targeting terrorists in Zamfara State, insisting that the operation was carried out against verified terrorist elements.
The latest clarification came barely 48 hours after the military dismissed reports alleging civilian casualties in Niger State, maintaining that those killed in the airstrikes were terrorists and not civilians.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International, in a new report, alleged that no fewer than 100 civilians were killed in a Nigerian military airstrike on a crowded market in north-western Nigeria.
The organisation’s Nigerian office claimed that the attack struck Tumfa Market in Zamfara State on Sunday and called for an immediate investigation into the incident.
However, the military, in a swift reaction, rejected the allegations.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said: “The Defence Headquarters wishes to address with utmost clarity the wave of misleading reports and unverified figures currently circulating across various media platforms regarding the air-land operation conducted by troops of the Joint Task Force (North West), Operation Fansan Yamma, on 10 May 2026 in Zamfara State.
“The operation targeted a confirmed high-level gathering of terrorist ring leaders at Tumfa Village, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State — a location verified by credible, multi-source human intelligence as a coordination point for planned attacks against innocent communities in the North West region.
“The operation was an air interdiction strike, the nature of which does not permit an immediate and precise ground-level enumeration of casualties.
Accordingly, 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.”
According to him, the official position of the military remains that several terrorists were neutralised, as confirmed by a Battle Damage Assessment conducted after the strike.
The Defence Headquarters also dismissed claims of civilian casualties, stating that no credible evidence had so far substantiated such allegations.
“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 said.
General Onoja urged individuals and organisations making such allegations to rely on verified and concrete evidence rather than unconfirmed social media reports or adversarial sources capable of undermining legitimate counter-terrorism operations.
He further stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria operates under strict Rules of Engagement and in full compliance with International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution in attacks.
“Civilians are never targets, and every operational measure is taken to prevent civilian harm. Ground troops continue to conduct exploitation and clearance operations in the area, and the public is advised to rely solely on verified information released through official Defence Headquarters channels.
“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,” he concluded.
