The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed reports alleging civilian casualties during an aerial interdiction operation carried out in the early hours of Sunday, 10 May 2026, in Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru villages of Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State.
DHQ insists that the precision strike targeted armed criminal elements based on credible intelligence.
The Director, Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja in a statement said “the operations were meticulously planned and executed based on credible, actionable intelligence confirming the convergence of terrorists at those specific locations”.
According to him, contrary to the narrative being circulated, the strikes were precisely targeted at identified terrorist enclaves and achieved their intended military objectives, neutralising approximately seventy armed bandits in Kusasu alone.
He noted that these are armed groups who had been tracked and confirmed as hostile elements actively planning attacks on civilian communities and military assets in the area.
“It is particularly instructive that, well ahead of the aerial interdiction, all local civilian communities within the general area had, out of an abundance of caution, voluntarily relocated to Sarkin Pawa for their safety”, he said.
“This fact alone fundamentally undermines the claim that innocent residents were present in the strike zones at the time of the operation”, he added.
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General Onoja stated that post-strike intelligence assessments and verified reports from local sources further confirmed that the aerial interdiction was precise on target, with terrorists subsequently observed gathering the remains of their fallen colleagues for burial, while others, numbering over 200 and mounted on motorcycles, were sighted retreating in the direction of Zango.
He noted that these are not the movements of a civilian population; they are the signature of a degraded but still mobile criminal force.
General Onoja said; Â “Nonetheless, relevant military formations have been directed to verify the allegations of civilian casualties, if any.”
General Onoja stressed that in line with the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s (AFN) mandate to conduct operations to root out all forms of insecurity in the country, on 9 May 2026, intelligence reports indicated the convergence of armed bandits at Lukupe Village in Shiroro LGA.
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The Statement reads; “The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains fully committed to the protection of all law-abiding citizens and conducts all operations in strict accordance with the rules of engagement and applicable laws.
“The Defence Headquarters urges the media and the public to exercise restraint and avoid amplifying unverified accounts that serve no purpose other than to embolden criminal elements, undermine troop morale, and erode public confidence in ongoing security operations.
“Individuals peddling unsubstantiated claims of civilian casualties without offering any credible evidence and without seeking official military response prior to publication risk becoming unwitting instruments of terrorist propaganda.
“Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of Nigeria will continue to pursue and neutralise all threats to national security with the precision, professionalism, and resolve that the defence of Nigeria demands.”
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