A devastating airstrike on a crowded market in Zamfara State in north‑west Nigeria has killed at least 100 civilians, according to Amnesty International, which is urging an immediate, independent investigation. Dozens more were injured and are being treated in multiple hospitals.
Local residents say the strike hit Tumfa market in Zurmi district on Sunday, marking the second deadly attack on a busy market in the region within a month. Amnesty reports that many of the victims were women and children, heightening alarm over the scale of civilian harm.
Nigeria’s military has not yet commented on the incident. In previous cases, officials have denied targeting civilians, insisting that operations are based on “credible intelligence” against armed groups. Witnesses, however, say military aircraft were seen circling the area around midday before returning roughly two hours later to launch the strike.
This is not the first such tragedy. In April, an airstrike on a weekly market in Zilli in north‑east Nigeria killed at least 200 civilians, an incident still under investigation.
The rising civilian death toll has fuelled widespread fear across northern Nigeria, where the military is battling armed bandit groups in the northwest and a 17‑year Islamist insurgency in the northeast. Extremist organisations such as Boko Haram responsible for severe violence and human rights abuses have long destabilised the region.
International involvement has also shaped the conflict. Last Christmas, the United States carried out strikes on Islamist militant positions in the northwest, with then‑President Donald Trump criticising Nigeria’s government for failing to protect Christian communities.
Amnesty says the latest attack underscores the urgent need for transparency and accountability. It is calling for a full, independent investigation to determine how such a large‑scale civilian tragedy occurred.
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