Nearly 100 civilians were killed Sunday as violence tore through northern Nigeria, exposing the brutal cost of the country’s widening conflict with armed gangs.
A Nigerian military airstrike hit a crowded market in Zamfara state, killing at least 72 people, according to community leaders and residents.
Amnesty International Nigeria said the death toll reached at least 100, while some local residents estimated more than 110 victims.
Witnesses described scenes of devastation, with bodies scattered across the market and some victims “blown beyond recognition” after the strike.
Residents said the market in Tumfa village was frequented by both civilians and armed gangs known locally as “bandits”.
The Nigerian military denied reports that civilians were killed, insisting the operation targeted “terrorist leaders and commanders” across the region.
Another military airstrike in Niger state the same day reportedly killed 13 civilians near Shiroro, an area plagued by militant and criminal groups.
Families of victims and local officials said homes were struck despite being distant from militant hideouts hidden in surrounding forests.
Bandit gangs also launched separate deadly assaults Sunday, killing 30 travellers in Zamfara and 12 people during coordinated attacks in Katsina state.
The violence unfolded like a dark storm across Nigeria’s countryside, where weak state presence has allowed armed groups to flourish for years.
Bandits, driven largely by profit rather than ideology, regularly raid villages, kidnap civilians for ransom and impose illegal taxes on rural communities.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly accused Nigeria’s military of killing civilians during air campaigns targeting both militant fighters and criminal gangs.
In April, another military strike on a crowded market near Yobe and Borno states killed at least 56 people, many believed to be civilians.