A minimum of 100 civilians were killed following a Nigerian military airstrike on a crowded market in the country’s northwest, according to Amnesty International.
The rights organisation stated that the attack occurred on Sunday at Tumfa market in Zamfara State and has called for an immediate investigation into the incident. Amnesty urged authorities to put an end to “reckless attacks” on civilians.
The Red Cross has confirmed the strike, with Ibrahim Bello Garba, an official for the organisation in the state, informing the Associated Press that “multiple civilians” were killed.
Community leaders in the area reported that women and girls comprised many of the dead, while dozens of injured victims are currently being treated in nearby hospitals.
ZAMFARA: Tumfa Market Air Strike Must Be Investigated
Nigeria’s increasingly appalling lack of transparency over civilian deaths as a result of reckless military air strikes means that when violations occur, the victims and their families have no effective access to redress or…
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) May 12, 2026
The Nigerian military has denied reports that its strikes killed civilians. Major General Michael Onoja, a military spokesman, told the AFP news agency that reports of civilian deaths in Zamfara were “not true.”
In a separate statement to the Associated Press, the military asserted that “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties” has been established.
Local resident Garba Ibrahim Mashema noted that the market is frequented by both residents and bandits, adding that the local population remains at the mercy of these gangs.
Nigeria is currently grappling with widespread banditry and a jihadist insurgency, involving groups that raid villages for profit, kidnap individuals, and extort rural communities. These groups are loosely organised and have been known to both fight and cooperate with jihadist factions.
Sunday’s incident follows a similar airstrike last month in Jilli, northeastern Nigeria, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 200 civilians. Amnesty International emphasised that civilians in northern regions facing conflict have “borne the brunt of suffering far too often.”
