The Defence Headquarters has denied reports of civilian deaths from airstrikes on suspected bandits in Niger State.
Defence spokesperson Major-General Michael Onoja said drone strikes carried out overnight between May 9 and 10 targeted Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu. and Kuduru in the Shiroro area of Niger State after intelligence indicated that bandits were gathering to plan attacks.
Onoja said no fewer than 70 bandits were killed in Kusasu alone, adding that post-strike intelligence showed surviving fighters regrouping, with more than 200 motorcycles moving toward nearby Zango village.
“The strikes were precisely targeted at identified terrorist enclaves and achieved their intended military objectives,” Onoja said in a statement on Monday, May 11, 2026.
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The defence spokesman disclosed that residents had relocated to another village beforehand, limiting the likelihood of civilian presence.
He didn’t say whether civilians were given warning of strikes.
Onoja added that the military has ordered field units to investigate any claims of civilian harm.
The denial came in response to reports alleging civilian casualties, underscoring longstanding concerns about the impact on local communities of airstrikes in the country.
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