Overview

• Over the weekend, a Nigerian Air Force jet struck Maraya and Wabi villages in Zamfara state, killing at least 20 local vigilantes who were pursuing bandits.
• Residents had requested military assistance after a bandit ambush, but the aircraft misidentified volunteer guards as attackers and opened fire.
• Amnesty International condemned the operation as unlawful and called on Nigerian authorities to carry out a transparent investigation into the killings.
• The incident follows a January airstrike in Tungar Kara that killed 16 civilians and a December 2022 jet bombing in Dansadau district that claimed more than 100 lives.
• Persistent banditry across northwest Nigeria continues to challenge security forces seeking to distinguish armed gangs from civilian communities.