The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched an investigation into reports that an airstrike in Katsina State resulted in civilian casualties. The military, however, maintains that its operation targeted and neutralized bandits responsible for attacking security personnel.
The airstrike, which took place on Saturday in Yauni community, Zakka Ward, Safana Local Government Area, reportedly left at least seven civilians dead. According to NAF spokesperson Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, the operation was based on intelligence that terrorists had attacked a Police Mobile Force (PMF) unit in the area, killing two officers and four vigilantes.
Akinboyewa described the air raid as a “successful operation” that eliminated several bandits. He also expressed concern over claims that innocent villagers were killed, calling such reports “distressing.”
He insisted that NAF adheres strictly to professional standards and follows established protocols in its operations. Residents of Zakka District have called on Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda to intervene, alleging that six members of a single family were mistakenly killed in the airstrike.
The Zakka Transformation Forum, a local advocacy group, voiced deep concerns about the ongoing security crisis, revealing that more than 250 people have been killed and over 600 abducted in the past 15 months.
