Death toll rises in alleged Zamfara airstrike

An airstrike in Kakindawa village, located in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, has reportedly claimed multiple lives.

Garba Umar, a resident of the community, told The PUNCH that the incident occurred on Saturday evening when local vigilantes were on their way to assist neighbors in Tungar Kara village, which had come under attack by bandits.

Umar explained that the vigilantes mobilized after receiving reports of bandits rustling livestock and attempting to abduct villagers.

“As we were heading to Tungar Kara around 3:30 pm, an aircraft suddenly appeared and dropped a bomb on the vigilantes. The bandits had already fled into the forest,” Umar recounted. He claimed that 16 people, including his son, were killed in the airstrike.

“We came together to protect our neighbors, but tragically, the aircraft mistakenly targeted us instead of the bandits. It’s a devastating loss,” Umar lamented.

In response to the incident, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, told The PUNCH on Sunday morning that he would investigate the matter and provide further updates. “I will look into what actually happened and get back to you,” Abdullahi said. However, as of the time of this report, no additional details had been released.

This tragic event follows recent military operations in Zamfara State. In November 2024, the Nigerian Air Force reported that airstrikes had killed numerous bandits, including loyalists of notorious bandit leaders Dan-Isuhu and Dogo Sule.

More recently, on January 8, 2025, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji killed a notorious terrorist leader, Sani Rusu, along with scores of his fighters during a gunfight in Bamamu village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.