Sad! Nigeria Air Strike Misfire Kills 20 Fishermen: Report

Cat:

Related stories

“Nigeria’s challenges not about the constitution, but its operators”, says Obasanjo

By Yanju Uwala A former Nigerian President and military Head...

Nigeria Surpasses OPEC’s 1.5 Million Barrel Oil Quota in June 2025

By Abiola Olawale In a major achievement for Africa’s largest...

Natasha vs Akpabio: Senate President Heads to Court, Challenges Court Order to Reinstate Senator

By Abiola Olawale President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio...

At least 20 fishermen were killed accidentally in a Nigerian military strike on a jihadist camp in northeast Nigeria, two security sources and locals told AFP on Monday.

A Nigerian fighter jet early on Sunday bombarded Kwatar Daban Masara in Lake Chad, which straddles Nigeria and neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, the sources said. The area is a bastion for the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The reports of casualties came less than two weeks after officials say another airstrike on a village killed nine civilians in Nigeria’s northeast where the military is battling a 12-year Islamist insurgency.

ISWAP recently lifted a ban on fishermen in its territory, allowing them to move in and fish in the freshwater lake for a fee. That led to an influx of fishermen who had abandoned the area.

“Any fisherman that goes to that area does so at his own risk because it is an enemy territory and there is no way of differentiating them from the terrorists,” one local intelligence source said.

“From the information we have been receiving the death toll is much higher than 20.”

Local fisherman Labo Sani told AFP by telephone that the jet strike hit Kwatar Daban Masara at around 6 am (0500 GMT), killing around 20 fishermen.

Kwatar Daban Masara which is on the shores of the lake is the “gateway to ISWAP’s camps on several islands” and a supply route for the jihadists, said Sani from nearby Daban Masara.

Another fisherman, Sallau Arzika, said the fighter jet struck the village “killing many of our people who are there for fishing”.

“The initial death toll was around 20, but the figure has been increasing with the deaths of many of the injured,” Arzika said.

News of the incident was slow to emerge due to limited telecommunications in the region.
A Nigerian air force spokesman did not immediately respond to a message seeking confirmation or comment.

The intelligence source who works with anti-jihadist militia in the region said the strike was based on “credible information” of a gathering of ISWAP fighters in the village since Wednesday.

He said aerial surveillance and reports from other sources revealed terrorists were amassing in Kwatar Daban Masara and it was obvious they were planning an attack, the source said.

‘Preemptive strike’

According to another security source, the village was subjected to surveillance in the past 10 days after scores of men suspected to be foreign fighters arrived in several vehicles and were ferried to camps inside the lake.

“It was a preemptive strike to destroy whatever plans the terrorists were making,” said the security source.

“You don’t expect an innocent civilian to be at that location and whoever is found is certainly part of the terrorists,” he said.

On September 16 a Nigerian airstrike on a village in nearby Yobe state killed at least nine civilian residents, according to officials.

The Nigerian air force said at the time its fighter jet was pursuing a group of jihadists in the area and it was investigating the incident.

Since 2009, Nigeria’s armed forces have battled a grinding jihadist insurrection in the northeast that has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced nearly two million from their homes.

The conflict spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to end the violence.

In January 2017 at least 112 people were killed when a fighter jet struck a camp housing 40,000 people displaced by violence in Rann near the border with Cameroon.

The Nigerian military blamed “lack of appropriate marking of the area” for the bombardment in a report it issued six months later.

In July 2019 at least 13 civilians were killed when a Nigerian fighter jet hit Gajiganna village, 50 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, as it targeted fleeing jihadists after they attacked a nearby base.

AFP

The New Diplomat
The New Diplomathttps://newdiplomatng.com/
At The New Diplomat, we stand for ethical journalism, press freedom, accountable Republic, and gender equity. That is why at The New Diplomat, we are committed to speaking truth to power, fostering a robust community of responsible journalism, and using high-quality polls, data, and surveys to engage the public with compelling narratives about political, business, socio-economic, environmental, and situational dynamics in Nigeria, Africa, and globally.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Elderstatesman, Emeka Anyaoku, Speaks Again , Urges Nigeria to Adopt a "People’s Democratic Constitution""Nigeria's challenges not about the constitution, but its operators", says ObasanjoNigeria Surpasses OPEC’s 1.5 Million Barrel Oil Quota in June 2025Natasha vs Akpabio: Senate President Heads to Court, Challenges Court Order to Reinstate SenatorOluwo Commends Awujale's Burial, Says Late Monarchs Shouldn't Be "Butchered Like Animals"Alleged N6.9Billion Fraud: Drama as Ex-Governor Fayose Wins in CourtOgun PDP Knocks Dapo Abiodun, Backs Striking Workers: "Strike Action is lawful, a response to Abuse"[Full Letter] Atiku Abubakar Quits PDP, Signals Major Political Shift Ahead of 2027 ElectionsNational Grid Crisis: Six Universities, MTN, NDA, 16 Others Exit Grid, Resort to Own Power GenerationOgun PDP Knocks Dapo Abiodun, Backs Striking Workers: "Strike Action is lawful, a response to Abuse"Alleged N6.9Billion Fraud: Drama as Ex-Governor Fayose Wins in CourtOluwo Commends Awujale's Burial, Says Late Monarchs Shouldn't Be "Butchered Like Animals"Natasha vs Akpabio: Senate President Heads to Court, Challenges Court Order to Reinstate SenatorNigeria Surpasses OPEC’s 1.5 Million Barrel Oil Quota in June 2025"Nigeria's challenges not about the constitution, but its operators", says Obasanjo
X whatsapp