The Defence Headquarters said on Sunday that airstrikes in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State hit armed bandit hideouts, not civilians, contradicting reports of casualties among residents.
Michael Onoja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, issued the statement dismissing allegations that the aerial bombardments killed civilians. The military has come under scrutiny over strikes in the north as communities report deaths and destruction during operations against armed gangs.
The Shiroro area, a stronghold of bandit groups that raid villages and abduct residents for ransom, has been a flashpoint in Niger State's security crisis. The military has intensified air operations in recent months to dismantle these gangs, but residents and rights groups have repeatedly accused the armed forces of hitting civilian areas.
Onoja's statement is the latest in a pattern of denials by the DHQ whenever civilian casualty claims emerge from conflict zones. The military has not released details about the specific locations targeted, the number of sorties flown, or how it determined the sites were bandit camps rather than populated areas.
