'Na bandits airstrikes target for Zamfara' - Nigerian Airforce

Amnesty International don call on Nigerian govment to investigate alleged airstrike wey kille 20 pipo and injure many for Maraya and Wabi villages inside Maru Local Government Area of ​​Zamfara State.

Di incident happun over di weekend and Amnesty say Nigeria authorities must investigate di matter as dis no be di first time.

Authories from di Nigerian military neva comment on di alleged incident but pipo wey dey some villages for di northwestern Nigerian State, tok say na 20 pipo die wen di Nigerian army jet wey come fight bandits allegedly drop airstrike on.

Villagers for Mani area of Maru Local goment tok say di bandits wey ride come wit motorbike attack dem for afternoon wen dem dey farm.

One politician for Zamfara, wey no wan make im name show, don confam di tori to BBC News Pidgin say di incident happun on Saturday after Nigerian military try help communities wey bandits dey attack.

E add say di main challenge be say sometimes wen di military aircraft come, dem dey mistakenly attack civilians sake say e dey hard to differentiate between civilians and bandits.

"I receive emergency call from one vigilante member wey tell me say dem dey under attack from bandits and dem need urgent help. I quickly call authorities make dem send help," e tok.

"Within one hour, dem send military aircraft, but unfortunately, di plane mistakenly hit di vigilantes and kill seven of dem instantly."

"Dem call me again say na vigilantes di military aircraft mistakenly hit, I quickly call di authorities again tell dem say dem don hit di wrong pipo."

According to am, later di military aircraft follow di route wey di bandits dey go.

Another eyewitness wey be vigilante member wey escape death, say true-true di incident happun on Saturday wen dem dey try chase bandits comot from dia village.

"Bandits attack our community wit many motorcycles, dem fit be up to 70, dem shoot many pipo dead while odas get injury," e tok.

"Na dat time I make emergency call to one politician; I tell am say we dey under attack and we dey try chase dem comot."

"Di bandits burn our foodstuffs, kidnap women and children, and we no fit farm again sake of of dia frequent attack," e add.

Di vigilante add say "As we dey chase di bandits, na so Nigerian military aircraft come and mistakenly strike us instead of di bandits wey dey go east, we lost eight of our members wey di airstrike hit, even me sef, na God save me."

Di vigilante tok say dem lost around 20 pipo between di bandit attack and di military airstrike.

"We lost 10 pipo immediately wen di bandits first attack, den we lost another eight vigilantes wey di military plane mistakenly kill," im tok.

E also tok say di issue of mistaking vigilantes for bandits need to be addressed, becos na dem dey help protect communities from bandits.

E tok say more dan 100 pipo still dey for hand of di bandits wey attack dia communities.

One pesin wey no wan make dem call im name tell BBC Hausa say dem dey go help di pipo wey bandits attack wen di army jet come, but di jet begin shoot dem and kill some.

Di man tok say, "Di bandits carry 50 pipo but as di army jet see us dey go help, e fly low begin shoot. Eviribodi run for im life and even us wey dey alive na God save us, sake say we lie down for ground."

"We lie down like say dem shoot us too, and wen di jet comot, we stand up run go save ourself."

Anoda pesin wey tok to BBC beg goment make dem help dem well well becos di bandits tok say dem go come back again.

E tok say, "We dey beg goment make dem send more security come protect us. But make di security pipo sabi say sometimes dem dey mistakenly kill our pipo, make dem dey check well befor dem act."

"We tell security afta di attack, but na so di jet just come kill our vigilante pipo."

Up till now, Nigerian army neva tok anytin about wetin happun.

For January 2025, Nigerian army jet mistakenly kill 16 pipo, including vigilante and farmers, for Tungar Kara village for Zamfara State becos dem tink say na bandits.

Still for December 2024, anoda airstrike kill 10 civilians for Sokoto State, and di state govnor tok say na mistake wey affect innocent pipo.

'Na bandits airstrikes target' - Airforce

But on di oda hand, di Nigerian Air Force (NAF) don tok say dem eliminate no fewer dan 20 armed terrorists and destroy over 21 motorcycles during one air interdiction operation wey happun on May 31 for Zamfara.

Di Director of Public Relations and Information for NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Monday tok say di operation happun for di general area south of Mai-Galma for Maru Local Government Area.

Ejodame tok say di aim of di operation na to stop attacks on communities by armed bandits.

According to am, intelligence confirm say di bandits don kill some farmers and abduct some civilians wey include women and children.

"Sake of dat, NAF aircraft under Operation FANSAR YAMMA bin dispatch go do armed reconnaissance and possible rescue mission.

"On arrival for di area, dem identify over 30 motorcycles wey dey carry armed terrorists wey dey head enta di nearby forest.

"Di time wen di terrorists see di aircraft, dem open fire, and dat prompt exchange fire wey lead to di destruction of several motorcycles and neutralise dozens of terrorists.

"Ground forces come mobilise sharp-sharp to follow up di situation.

"Dem later confirm say dem destroy enemy assets and neutralise over 20 terrorists" im tok.

Ejodame still tok say two local vigilantes lose dia lives and two odas sustain injuries during di operation.