NANS Condemns Civilian Deaths from Airstrike in Nigeria

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has raised concerns over repeated civilian casualties resulting from air operations conducted by the Nigerian Air Force. A recent incident involved an airstrike that reportedly struck a bustling market along the Borno-Yobe border, killing approximately 200 civilians and injuring many others.

NANS issued a statement on Sunday, describing the incident as tragic and avoidable, criticizing the military for allegedly executing an unprofessional airstrike that mistakenly targeted the Jilli market, a weekly trade hub, instead of intended insurgent targets. The operations were part of a military campaign against insurgent groups in the northeast, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.

Zakari Hashim, the Secretary of NANS, criticized the failure of intelligence gathering in identifying targets and executing operations, highlighting the ongoing toll on civilians. NANS called on the Federal Government and the Defence Headquarters to launch an independent investigation into the incident and to implement stronger safeguards to prevent future occurrences.