Nigeria Rights Body Demands Probe as Civilian Deaths From Military Airstrikes Mount
# ARTICLE 4: Nigeria Rights Body Demands Probe as Civilian Deaths From Military Airstrikes Mount
**Slug:** nigeria-human-rights-commission-probe-airstrike-civilian-deaths-2026
**Categories:** Africa, Politics, Human Rights
**Featured Image:** https://nowinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/art-may14-minerals.jpg
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LAGOS — Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission has called on the military to launch a “thorough and prompt” investigation into what it described as recurrent civilian casualties from military airstrikes, as concern mounts over a pattern of strikes that have killed large numbers of civilians in populated areas across the country’s north.
The call from the NHRC, a statutory body tasked with investigating alleged rights violations, comes after Amnesty International said on May 12 that at least 100 civilians had been killed in a Nigerian military airstrike on a crowded market in remote northwest Zamfara state — the third such reported incident since April. The military has denied the casualties, saying there is “no evidence” of civilian deaths.
## A Recurring Pattern
In a strongly worded statement, NHRC executive secretary Tony Ojukwu demanded answers. “Nigerians deserve to know why this has become a recurring decimal. For how long will this continue?” he said.
The NHRC said that while the fight against insurgency, banditry and other insecurity was a legitimate responsibility of the state, military operations must not violate the Nigerian constitution or international humanitarian principles. The commission has the authority to investigate alleged abuses and refer matters to the attorney general for prosecution.
The pattern of civilian deaths from airstrikes has been documented across multiple regions. In April, around 10 people were killed in an airstrike on a weekly market in Jilli, in northeastern Nigeria, where the military has been battling the Boko Haram insurgency for more than a decade. An investigation into that incident has been opened by the military itself, though human rights groups have expressed skepticism about the independence of internal inquiries.
## The Military’s Response
Nigeria’s military has increasingly relied on air power as its primary instrument in conflict-affected regions — the northeast against Boko Haram and ISWAP, the northwest against armed kidnapping gangs known locally as bandits, and parts of the north-central region against a growing Islamist militants presence. The logic is partly operational: airstrikes can reach remote areas where road access is limited or dangerous; they can also respond more quickly to reports of armed groups gathering.
But the heavy reliance on air power has created a significant civilian harm problem. Witnesses in Zamfara told Amnesty International that the market targeted on May 10 was crowded with civilians, including women and children, at a time when local people say there was no armed group activity in the area. The military’s own statement said its intelligence indicated the presence of ” bandits” and that the strike was “precisely targeted” — a characterization witnesses have disputed.
The military has pointed to no evidence of civilian casualties. In a May 13 statement, it said its “after-action review” had found no support for claims of civilian harm. It did not explain the methodology of that review.
## International Pressure
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, issued a separate statement on May 13 saying he was “shocked” by reports of civilian deaths in Zamfara and urging Nigerian authorities to undertake a “thorough, independent and impartial” investigation. His statement was unusual in its directness and in singling out Nigeria specifically at a moment when the country is already facing multiple security crises.
Human rights advocates say the UN statement reflects growing international concern about the trajectory of civilian harm from Nigerian military operations. “This is not an isolated incident,” said a Nigeria-based protection researcher who asked not to be named. “There is a systemic problem with target selection, with strike authorization and with the willingness to investigate when things go wrong.”
Under Nigerian law, the NHRC can investigate alleged abuses and refer matters for prosecution. It remains to be seen whether the commission’s call for an investigation will be answered — or whether, as in previous cases, the military’s internal review process will be allowed to set the terms of accountability.