A resident of Guradnayi village near Kusasu community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, Victor Solomon, has recounted how he lost three of his children during a military airstrike that hit the area in the early hours of Sunday.
The 50-year-old victim, who sustained severe facial injuries during the incident, spoke from his hospital bed while receiving treatment.
Residents said no fewer than 13 civilians, most of them children, were killed after aerial bombardments targeted areas around Guradnayi as security forces pursued armed bandits operating on motorcycles within the district.
The incident reportedly occurred around 5am while many residents were still asleep.
Speaking on the tragedy, Solomon said he was uncertain if he would survive his injuries.
“I don’t know if I can survive this. I sustained severe injuries to my face. I am in pain. We need help from the government,” he said.
Another resident, Gideon Bamaiyi, said several villagers had fled earlier after bandits passed through the community before the airstrike occurred.
According to him, some residents later returned home believing the danger had passed before the bombardment struck.
Bamaiyi disclosed that 13 persons, including seven children who had taken refuge in his elder brother’s house, were killed after one of the bombs hit the building.
He added that six injured victims, including women and children, were receiving treatment at a private hospital in Zumba within Shiroro Local Government Area.
He further revealed that five of the victims were still unconscious as of Sunday evening, while the hospital had demanded funds for emergency surgery on one of the injured women.
“In my elder brother’s house alone, 13 people died because one of the bombs landed there. Nobody survived,” he said.
Another resident, Auta Awododo, also confirmed that one of the victims was his cousin’s son, adding that although bandits may have been affected during the operation, innocent civilians equally lost their lives.
Despite the claims by residents, the Defence Headquarters denied reports that civilians were killed in the operation.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, said the operation followed intelligence reports indicating the gathering of armed bandits within Shiroro Local Government Area.
According to him, the Nigerian Army UAV Command carried out coordinated airstrikes on suspected terrorist hideouts in Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu and Kuduru villages.
Onoja stated that about 70 armed bandits were neutralised during the operation in Kusasu alone.
He maintained that the bombardments were precise and based on credible intelligence, adding that residents had earlier been advised to evacuate the affected communities before the strikes commenced.
The military spokesman, however, said relevant authorities had been directed to investigate allegations of civilian casualties linked to the operation.
Also reacting, the Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, insisted that residents had been warned to leave the affected locations before the operation began.
According to him, those who remained behind were suspected collaborators and informants working with the terrorists.
The latest incident has again raised concerns over recurring civilian casualties linked to military airstrikes in parts of Shiroro Local Government Area, where communities continue to face repeated attacks by armed groups.