Air raids by Chadian forces reportedly killed dozens of Nigerian fishermen working on islands under Boko Haram control.
The United Nations has called for urgent independent investigations into separate military airstrikes carried out by Nigerian and Chadian forces after reports indicated that more than 100 civilians may have been killed in northern Nigeria and areas around the Lake Chad region.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said he was deeply shocked by reports that Nigerian military airstrikes on a market in Zamfara State on May 10 killed at least 100 civilians and injured several others.
Turk also expressed concern over reports of heavy civilian casualties linked to recent Chadian air raids targeting Boko Haram positions on remote islands within the Lake Chad basin a region shared by Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
According to reports, the Chadian bombardments, which began last Friday, may have killed dozens of Nigerian fishermen and local residents working in areas controlled by Boko Haram insurgents. Many civilians in those territories are reportedly forced by the armed groups to pay taxes in order to continue their daily activities.
Verified footage circulating online reportedly showed badly burned victims receiving treatment at a hospital in Bosso, Niger, highlighting the severity of the attacks and raising fresh concerns over the humanitarian consequences of ongoing military operations in the region.
The UN human rights chief stressed that both Nigerian and Chadian authorities must immediately carry out transparent, impartial and independent investigations into the incidents. He emphasized that all military operations against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, known as ISWAP, must comply fully with international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Turk warned that civilians and civilian infrastructure must never become targets during counterterrorism operations, regardless of the security challenges faced by governments in the region.
Northern Nigeria has faced years of violent insecurity, with armed bandit groups operating across the northwest and insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP continuing attacks in the northeast. The conflict has displaced millions of people, disrupted farming and trade activities, and created one of Africa’s largest humanitarian crises.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly accused both armed groups and security forces of actions leading to civilian casualties. Amnesty International recently described the latest violence in Zamfara State as one of the bloodiest incidents recorded in the region’s ongoing conflict.
Despite the allegations, Nigeria’s military has denied reports of civilian deaths linked to its latest operation in Zamfara State. Defence Headquarters spokesman, Major-General Michael Onoja, said there was no verified evidence confirming civilian casualties from the airstrikes.
According to the military, the operation targeted what it described as a confirmed gathering of terrorists based on credible intelligence. The military insisted the strike was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and claimed several armed fighters were neutralized during the operation.
The latest developments have once again drawn attention to the growing difficulty of combating insurgency and armed criminality in densely populated and remote communities, where civilians are often caught between militant groups and military operations.
Security analysts warn that without improved intelligence gathering, civilian protection measures, and stronger accountability mechanisms, military operations in the region could continue to fuel humanitarian concerns and public distrust.
