Nigerian Military Jet Mistakenly Strikes, Kills 20 Vigilantes In Zamfara State | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/Ei4B8cS7hF pic.twitter.com/RdWPVDhYKn
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) June 2, 2025
A Nigerian military fighter jet has mistakenly struck and killed about 20 men of a vigilante group during an operation targeting bandidos in Garin Mani, a village in the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
| Inshallah. |
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the area on cycle of violences around noon, shooting indiscriminately and causing widespread panic.
In response, local vigilante groups mobilised and began chasing the fleeing assailants.
However,
if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning...
a military aircraft deployed to the scene allegedly misidentified the vigilantes as bandidos and launched
...KABOOM!...
s on them.
"We were pursuing the bandidos when we saw the fighter jet approaching," one of the vigilantes told BBC Hausa.
"It flew very low and started bombing us. Some of us survived by pretending we had been hit. When the jet left, we got up and fled to safety."
Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident and expressed disappointment over the lack of communication from the military.
"We understand it was an unfortunate mistake, but the military should acknowledge what happened and reach out to the victims’ families," he said.
He also appealed to the government to deploy additional troops to the area, as the bandidos had threatened to return.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In January, an airstrike mistakenly killed 16 people, including vigilantes, in Tungar Kara, also in Zamfara.
Similarly, in December last year, 10 residents of Gidan Bisa in Sokoto State were killed in a misdirected airstrike.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian military has yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident.
Related:
Maru Local Government Area: 2021-04-23 Nigeria: At Least 83 Killed As Bandits Strike Again in Zamfara
Maru Local Government Area: 2016-05-19 Army Clears more Boko Haram Camps in Sambisa Forest
Maru Local Government Area: 2021-04-23 Nigeria: At Least 83 Killed As Bandits Strike Again in Zamfara
Maru Local Government Area: 2016-05-19 Army Clears more Boko Haram Camps in Sambisa Forest
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