There were no civilian casualties in yesterday’s dawn strikes by troops on terrorists in Niger State, the military said yesterday.
The aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force on Guradnayi community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, killed about 70 terrorists, the military said.
Guradnayi, a settlement near Kusasu, has frequently come under attacks by terrorists.
Locals claimed that strikes, which were carried out around 5am yesterday, reportedly affected civilians.
But in a statement, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), through its Director of Defence (Media Operations), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, refuted the report.
According to him, the operations were “meticulously planned and executed based on credible and actionable intelligence.”
Onoja said: “The Defence Headquarters wishes to clarify reports circulating in certain quarters alleging that civilians were killed in the aerial interdiction strike conducted in the early hours of Sunday, May 10, 2026, across Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru villages in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
“The operations were meticulously planned and executed based on credible, actionable intelligence confirming the convergence of terrorists at those specific locations.
“Contrary to the narrative being circulated, the strikes were precisely targeted at identified terrorist enclaves and achieved their intended military objectives, neutralizing approximately seventy armed bandits in Kusasu alone.
“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.”
The Defence spokesperson explained that between 11:59pm to 6am yesterday, the Nigerian Army UAV Command acting on intelligence conducted multiple air strikes on different bandits’ locations, including Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu and Kuduru Villages all in Shiroro LGA of Niger State.
According to him, further reports from local sources confirmed that the aerial interdiction was precise on target at Kusasu, Katerma and Bokko.
The military spokesman said that the military also gathered that about 70 bandits were hit and killed in Kusasu, while others were sighted gathering the remains of their colleagues for burial while others on about 200 motorcycles moved towards Zango.
Gen. Onoja said: “Another group from Bokko were also seen advancing towards Zango apparently to meet their colleagues and perfect their next plan of either retreating or attacking Sarkin Pawa or the government/security infrastructure in Kuchi.
“Other groups were also seen converging on Kopa, East of Mongoro, suggesting a possible plan to attack government/security infrastructure in Mongoro. “The military took necessary steps to neutralise all these threats in a timely manner.”
The military high command said it 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.
It urged 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.”
