DHQ rejects reports of 117 civilian deaths in Zamfara airstrike

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has pushed back against widespread reports claiming that 117 civilians were killed during a recent military airstrike in Zamfara State, insisting that the operation targeted only armed terrorists gathered for coordinated attacks in the North-West.

The rebuttal comes amid growing public concern following reports by some newspapers and rights groups alleging heavy civilian casualties after the May 10 strike on Tumfa Village in Shinkafi Local Government Area.

In a statement issued Tuesdayby Michael Onoja, the Director of Defence Media Operations,, described the casualty figures circulating in parts of the media as “misleading, speculative and unverified.”

According to the military, the operation was conducted by troops of Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, after intelligence reports identified the location as a meeting point for terrorist kingpins planning attacks on communities across Zamfara and neighbouring states.

The DHQ maintained that the strike followed “credible multi-source human intelligence” and was directed strictly at armed non-state actors.

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

The military argued that because the operation was an aerial interdiction mission, it would be impossible to immediately establish exact casualty figures on the ground, rejecting claims that 117 civilians died in the bombardment.

The development has reignited concerns over civilian safety in Nigeria’s expanding air campaign against banditry and terrorism in the North-West. In recent years, military airstrikes targeting armed groups in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto states have occasionally sparked controversy over allegations of mistaken targeting and civilian casualties.

Rights organisations and local residents have repeatedly called for greater transparency and improved intelligence coordination during military operations in rural communities vulnerable to attacks by bandits and insurgents.

However, the Defence Headquarters insisted that no credible evidence had so far established civilian deaths from the latest strike.

The military also dismissed allegations reportedly amplified by some international human rights groups, saying there had been no independent verification supporting the casualty claims.

“It stressed that the targeted structure was occupied exclusively by armed non-state actors who posed direct threats to innocent civilians,” the statement added.

The DHQ further warned against relying on unverified social media accounts and “adversarial sources” capable of undermining ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

Reaffirming the military’s commitment to professionalism, the Armed Forces said all operations are conducted under strict Rules of Engagement and in line with International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.
The statement noted that troops involved in the operation were still conducting clearance and exploitation missions around the affected area.
The military assured Nigerians that any confirmed civilian casualty incidents would be openly communicated in accordance with the accountability directives of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.

Security analysts say the latest controversy reflects the difficult balance facing Nigeria’s military as it intensifies aerial offensives against heavily armed bandit groups operating across forests in the North-West.

Zamfara State remains one of the worst-hit regions in Nigeria’s prolonged insecurity crisis, with communities frequently subjected to kidnappings, mass killings and raids by armed gangs despite ongoing military operations.