The National Human Rights Commission has demanded a thorough investigation into the Nigerian military’s recurrent airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties.
This state body expressed grave concerns regarding the military’s adherence to international humanitarian laws and the protection of constitutional rights.
Amnesty International reported that a recent strike in Zamfara state killed at least 100 civilians at a crowded local market.
The military maintains that no evidence exists of civilian deaths, despite this being the third such reported incident since April.
Federal forces have increasingly utilized air power to combat Islamist militants and armed kidnapping gangs across the country’s northern regions.
NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu questioned the frequency of these errors, describing the repeated loss of life as a recurring decimal.
United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk expressed shock at the reports and urged authorities to conduct an independent inquiry.
The Jilli market strike in April previously claimed nearly 200 lives, an event for which the military has opened investigations.
Strategic aerial operations continue as the state battles long-running insurgencies that have displaced thousands of people across the West African nation.
The commission holds the legal authority to refer discovered human rights abuses to the attorney general for formal criminal prosecution.
Nigeria’s leadership faces intensifying international pressure to balance necessary security operations with the absolute preservation of innocent civilian lives.
