Suspected Military Airstrike Kills Seven Vigilantes, Injures Others

At least seven vigilantes have reportedly been killed, and eight others injured after an explosive was allegedly dropped on a group gathered at Kukoki-Bassa in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday while the vigilantes were meeting to discuss how to respond to the movement of suspected bandits towards the community.

The commander of the Kukoki vigilante group, Ayuba Umar Kamas, said the group noticed three aircraft in the area before one allegedly flew towards them and released an explosive that struck their gathering.

Kamas said seven members of the group died in the incident, while eight others sustained injuries of varying degrees. Some of the injured were reportedly left with severe injuries, including loss of both legs.

He said the deceased included four members from Kukoki, one from Bassa and three from Matuku.

According to him, the vigilantes had assembled after receiving information about suspected bandits moving through the area. He claimed that about 250 motorcycles were involved in the movement, while some of the suspected criminals were also reportedly driving rustled cattle through the community.

The vigilante commander questioned why the alleged military operation hit the group instead of the suspected bandits whose movement had prompted the meeting.

Following the incident, Kamas said Niger State Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba, who is from Shiroro Local Government Area, was contacted and assisted in arranging the evacuation of the injured.

He said the victims were initially moved from the affected area on motorcycles before being taken to the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna, where those injured are receiving medical attention.

Kamas added that vigilantes from neighbouring Rafi Local Government Area helped bury the deceased. He, however, claimed that neither the state government nor the local government had provided assistance to the affected community.

He said the incident had forced many residents to leave the community amid renewed fears of attacks by suspected bandits.

There was no official statement from the Niger State Government, the Nigerian Air Force or other security agencies on the reported incident or the circumstances surrounding the explosion as of the time of filing the report.

The allegation that the explosive was released from a military aircraft could not be independently verified.