The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded an explanation from the Nigerian Air Force over the recent military airstrikes that killed civilians in different parts of the country, warning that the incidents raise serious human rights and humanitarian concerns.
PREMIUM TIMES has reported on the three recent airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) which resulted in civilian casualties across the North-east, North-west and North-central.
In April, a NAF airstrike killed unspecified numbers of civilians in a “precision” airstrike on a market in Jilli, a community bordering Yobe and Borno states.
On 10 May, military airstrikes targeting terrorists reportedly killed more than 100 civilians in Niger and Zamfara states.
In all of these, the military and the state governments disputed these reports, insisting that only terrorists were killed. However, locals have expressed anger and frustration over the claims by military and state authorities.
