At least 20 people, including members of a local vigilante group, were killed in a misdirected airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The area is the hometown of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

The victims, members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard, were reportedly struck on Saturday night, January 11, in Tungar Kara, a community where the Air Force and local defenders were responding to a terrorist attack.

A local resident, Salisu Maradun, explained that vigilantes and other residents had mobilized to defend the community and recover stolen livestock from fleeing bandits when the airstrike mistakenly hit them. “The victims came from neighboring communities in solidarity to support the attacked area,” Maradun said.

Eyewitnesses reported that at least 20 people died in the incident, with several others unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon.

This latest incident adds to a series of airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force that have unintentionally killed civilians. On Christmas Day 2024, 10 civilians were killed in airstrikes in Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, neighboring communities in Sokoto State. Although the Air Force initially claimed the victims were terrorists, it later announced plans to investigate following public outrage.

According to SBM Intelligence, a pan-African consulting firm, the Nigerian Air Force conducted 17 accidental airstrikes between January 2017 and September 2024, resulting in the deaths of about 500 people.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has included such incidents as part of its ongoing investigations into alleged human rights violations by Nigerian security forces.

Attempts to reach NAF spokesperson Olusola Akinboyewa and Zamfara State Police spokesperson Yazeed Abubakar for comments were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.

The tragic airstrike raises further concerns about the safety of civilians during military operations and the need for improved targeting measures to prevent future incidents.