The repeated ‘accidental’ airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have become deeply troubling and unacceptable.
Development Diaries reports that residents of Zamfara State have again been thrown into mourning as an accidental bombing from the airstrikes by the NAF killed some vigilantes.
According to NAF, an air interdiction mission in Zamfara State killed over 20 terrorists on 31 May, 2025.
The latest incident, which led to the deaths of local vigilantes during an operation intended to neutralise terrorists, adds to a disturbing pattern of civilian casualties in military operations.
While the fight against terrorism is critical, it must not come at the cost of innocent lives or those bravely assisting in community defence.
Each unintended casualty heightens public distrust in the armed forces and questions the reliability of their intelligence and targeting protocols.
This is not the first time such a tragedy has occurred. In January 2025, at least 15 civilians were killed in a similar miscalculated airstrike in Zamfara State, after being mistaken for criminal elements.
Despite public outcry and promises of thorough investigations, it appears little has changed in operational procedures to prevent a recurrence.
The latest incident makes it painfully clear that the lessons from January were neither learnt nor applied, and the consequences have again proven fatal.
The continued loss of civilian lives, especially those of vigilantes risking their safety to defend their communities, points to a grave failure in military-civilian coordination and a lack of effective safeguards during air operations.
If credible intelligence can still result in the bombing of citizens, then the integrity and accuracy of such intelligence must be rigorously reviewed.
Communities already facing terror and abductions now find themselves fearing the very forces meant to protect them.
Development Diaries calls on the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, to urgently reevaluate NAF’s rules of engagement and strengthen real-time communication with ground forces and local actors.
Transparent investigations must be followed by tangible reforms, not just condolences. Protecting civilians is not merely a moral obligation; it is a legal requirement under international humanitarian law.
Anything less risks turning a mission of protection into a cycle of trauma and loss for the very people the military is sworn to defend.
Photo source: NAF
