Leadnaija
An airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) mistakenly struck members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes, and residents in Tungar Kara, a village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Saturday evening.
The attack, which occurred following a bandit raid, tragically left at least 20 people dead and dozens more injured, many of whom are in critical condition without access to immediate medical care.
The ZCPG and local vigilantes in the region have played a crucial role in fighting banditry, often stepping in to protect communities where formal security forces are absent or scarce.
Tungar Kara residents have expressed deep grief and anger over the attack, calling for an independent investigation into how the airstrike went astray.
The incident has also drawn widespread condemnation, with residents expressing outrage over the mistaken strike.
According to Bakatsine, a banditry analyst in the region, the airstrike was likely part of a larger military operation aimed at targeting bandit hideouts in the area.
However, the vigilantes, who had mobilized to defend the community after the bandit attack, were inadvertently caught in the strike.
“Sixteen bodies have been recovered so far, but the total number of casualties may rise as recovery efforts continue,” Bakatsine said on his X page.
“This tragic error has claimed the lives of those who were actively working to protect their community.”
Amnesty International has condemned the attack, urging the Nigerian authorities to immediately and impartially investigate the airstrike.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and impartially investigate the Saturday evening air strike that killed at least 20 people at Tungar Kara village of Maradun LGA Zamfara state. Dozens of people injured are currently in critical condition — without access to medical care.
“The Nigerian authorities’ consistent failure to hold the military to account is encouraging impunity and increasingly endangering the lives of the civilians the military is supposed to be protecting.” Amnesty International wrote on X.
DailyPost gathered that this is not the first time the Nigerian Air Force has mistakenly bombed a community. There have been several cases in Borno, Kaduna, and with Sokoto state being the recent.
Recall that on Christmas day, 2024, air strikes hit two communities of Silame LGA of Sokoto state, killing at least 10 people.
According to SBM Intelligence, a consulting firm, the Nigerian Air Force carried out 17 accidental air strikes between January 2017 and September 2024, killing about 500 people.
Efforts to contact military authorities for a statement on the incident were unsuccessful at the time of reporting, and the Nigerian military has yet to provide an official response.Tap Here for the Full Story
