A military air strike in northeastern Nigeria has killed more than 100 civilians after mistakenly hitting a busy local market, AP reported, citing a rights organisation and local media on Sunday. The strike, carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, was intended to target jihadi fighters operating in the region.
However, officials later acknowledged that the attack was a misfire, though they did not share further details about how the error occurred.
According to Amnesty International, accounts from survivors confirmed that at least 100 people lost their lives in the incident. Many others were also reported injured when the strike hit a village market in Yobe state, close to the border with Borno state.
The affected area lies near the centre of a long-running insurgency that has troubled northeastern Nigeria for more than a decade, with frequent clashes between armed groups and security forces.
Boko Haram in Nigeria
Boko Haram is a jihadist extremist group that originated in northeastern Nigeria in the early 2000s. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf, the group initially opposed Western-style education and sought to establish an Islamic state governed by strict Sharia law. After Yusufโs death in 2009, leadership passed to Abubakar Shekau, under whom the group became highly violent.
Boko Haram is responsible for widespread atrocities, including mass killings, bombings, and kidnappings. One of its most notorious acts was the 2014 abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok. The insurgency has displaced millions and created a severe humanitarian crisis across Nigeria and neighboring countries. Regional military efforts and international cooperation have weakened the group, but it remains active, with splinter factions continuing attacks and destabilising the Lake Chad Basin region.