At least 200 people are feared dead in northeastern Nigeria after a military airstrike struck a crowded market in Yobe State on Sunday, according to local officials and residents. The Nigerian Air Force has yet to officially address the incident, which has drawn widespread condemnation from humanitarian groups.
The attack occurred in the early afternoon in the town of Kanamma, located in the Yusufari Local Government Area near the border with Borno State — a region that has borne the brunt of the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the strike hit a market square where traders and customers were conducting their Sunday business.
“We saw bodies scattered everywhere. The market has been completely destroyed,” said a local resident who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, citing fear of retaliation. “Women and children were among the victims. We are still pulling bodies from the rubble.”
Yobe State councillor Kachalla Abatcha confirmed the death toll, stating that rescue operations were ongoing but hindered by the sheer scale of destruction. “We are dealing with a catastrophe. Our rescue teams are overwhelmed,” he said, adding that at least 50 people had been taken to nearby hospitals with varying degrees of injuries.
The Nigerian military has historically targeted Boko Haram positions in the region using airstrikes, but civilian casualties have repeatedly sparked controversy. Rights organizations have long accused the armed forces of insufficient safeguards to prevent harm to non-combatants.
Humanitarian agencies expressed horror at the incident. “This is yet another devastating loss of civilian life in a region that has already suffered enormously,” said a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross. “We are in contact with local authorities and stand ready to assist with medical and logistical support.”
The attack comes amid heightened military activity in the Lake Chad Basin area. Nigeria’s armed forces have intensified operations against terrorist cells in recent weeks, following directives from the presidency to crush insurgent groups before the rainy season makes movement difficult. However, critics argue that aggressive tactics without proper intelligence verification continue to place civilians at unacceptable risk.
The Air Force spokesperson was not available for comment at time of publication. A statement from the Defence Headquarters in Abuja said only that an investigation had been “immediately directed” into the incident.
Meanwhile, communities in surrounding villages have begun burying victims in mass graves, according to local sources, as the death toll threatens to rise further. Religious leaders in the region called for an independent international inquiry into the strike, warning that military investigations alone would lack credibility.
This incident follows a pattern of similar tragedies in Nigeria’s northeast. In November 2025, an airstrike in Borno State mistakenly killed 12 farmers. The military later acknowledged the error and offered compensation to families.
The continued violence has displaced tens of thousands in the region, with many fleeing to Maiduguri and other urban centres. International non-governmental organizations have repeatedly called for greater protection of civilian infrastructure, including markets, schools, and health facilities, from military operations.
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