The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed reports alleging that civilians were killed during a recent aerial interdiction operation in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, insisting that the military operation successfully targeted armed bandits and neutralised about 70 terrorists.
In a statement on Sunday night, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the operation, carried out across Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru villages in the early hours of 10 May 2026, was based on credible and actionable intelligence regarding the movement and gathering of armed criminal elements within the area.
According to him, the strikes were carefully planned and precisely executed against identified terrorist enclaves, contrary to reports suggesting that innocent civilians were affected.
Onoja explained that intelligence available to the military confirmed that the armed groups had been actively plotting attacks against civilian communities as well as military formations operating within the axis.
He further noted that residents of communities within the general vicinity had, prior to the operation, voluntarily relocated to Sarkin Pawa as a precautionary measure, a development he said contradicts allegations that civilians were present in the targeted locations during the strikes.
The director added that post-strike intelligence assessments and verified local reports indicated that the operation achieved its objectives, with terrorists seen evacuating the bodies of their dead associates for burial, while more than 200 armed fighters mounted on motorcycles reportedly retreated towards Zango.
According to him, such movements clearly reflected the activities of fleeing criminal elements rather than displaced civilians.
Despite this, the military said relevant formations had been directed to investigate claims of civilian casualties, if any, in order to ascertain the facts surrounding the allegations.
Reaffirming the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the protection of law-abiding citizens, Onoja stressed that all military operations are conducted in line with established rules of engagement and applicable laws.
He also urged the media and members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified reports capable of undermining ongoing security operations, lowering troop morale, and emboldening criminal groups.
The DHQ further warned that individuals circulating allegations of civilian casualties without credible evidence or without seeking official clarification from the military risk serving as tools for terrorist propaganda.
It maintained that the Armed Forces would continue ongoing operations aimed at neutralising threats to national security with professionalism and precision.