Nigeria Reeling From Bombing And Mistaken Airstrike; Dozens Killed

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ABUJA (Worthy News) – Northern Nigeria was reeling Monday from a bomb blast by suspected Islamist militants that left nine people dead, while the Nigerian Air Force reportedly killed at least 20 villagers after mistaking them for insurgents.

The bombing in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno rocked a bus park and highlighted concerns about increased attacks by Islamists targeting civilians, many of them Christians, and military bases in the area.

Villagers from Mairari village in Borno’s Guzamala district waited for transport when the bomb detonated Saturday, killing at least nine people, added Abdulkarim Lawan, the area’s lawmaker.

Lawan said Mairari village was now largely deserted due to “frequent attacks” by groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, who are increasingly using improvised explosive devices (IEDs)

“Terrorists who have been monitoring their movements planted lEDs at the local bus stop, which exploded while they were waiting to board commercial vehicles back to their destinations,” he said.

Bunu Bukar, a petty trader at the bus rank, told reporters an IED was tripped when passengers boarded a minibus, killing nine instantly and injuring several others.

Borno police confirmed the blast, the latest in a series of attacks since January, without saying which group was responsible.

20 KILLED

Separately, at least 20 people were killed in an airstrike carried out by the Nigerian Air Force in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state over the weekend, witnesses said.

The strike targeted an armed militia group that was planning to attack nearby villages, according to officials. The airstrike reportedly destroyed 21 motorcycles used by the group.

Air Force spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the operation was carried out after intelligence reports indicated “a significant number of terrorists were massing and preparing to strike unsuspecting settlements.” He added that the airstrike prevented “a big planned attack” on nearby villages.

Ejodame explained that the same group killed farmers and kidnapped several civilians, including women and children. During the strike, “two local vigilantes” were also killed, and two others were injured in the crossfire, officials said.

Advocacy group Amnesty International and locals condemned the airstrike. “Attacks by bandits clearly warrant a response from the state, but to launch reckless airstrikes into villages — again and again — is absolutely unlawful,” Amnesty stressed in a statement.

Residents said the airstrikes took place on Sunday in Maraya and Wabi villages.

These areas are often under attack by what are called “bandits” in northwest Nigeria, said sources familiar with the situation.

KILLING CIVILIANS

However, some locals said the airstrike killed members of their community defense group instead of the bandits.

“The military aircraft arrived and started firing, killing at least 20 of our people,” said Abdullahi Ali, a resident of Mani and a member of a local hunter-militia group.

Another resident, Auwal Idris, told reporters that a jet dropped a bomb close to where guards were fighting the bandits, killing 20 guards.

Nigeria’s military has previously admitted to mistakenly targeting civilians while chasing armed groups in the region.

In January, at least 16 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike in another part of Zamfara.

In December 2024, another mistaken airstrike killed 10 civilians in Sokoto State, prompting its governor to say that “innocent people” had died.

Additionally, some 3,100 Christians were killed and over 2,000 kidnapped, especially in areas such as northern Nigeria where Islamists try to impose “Sharia,” or Islamic, law, according to Christian charity Open Doors.

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