Tragedy struck the Kurgi community on January 25 when a security helicopter opened fire, claiming at least two lives and leaving many more—including children—severely wounded.
Eyewitnesses describe a chilling scene where the aircraft hovered over the village for several minutes before opening fire on civilians going about their daily activities. Intelligence from Aldebaran Threat Consultants suggests this lethal operation was intended to target local criminal elements, but instead resulted in devastating civilian casualties.
Launched on January 20 to dismantle rising terror networks, the military’s latest wave of airstrikes has now come under scrutiny following tragedy in Kurigi.
Responding to reports of civilian deaths, NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame expressed “deep concern” over the incident. While the NAF maintains its commitment to protecting Nigerians, it is now investigating how an operation intended to strike criminals resulted in the reported deaths and injuries of innocent villagers.
“Acknowledges the gravity of the reported loss of lives and injuries” and expressed “deep concern for all affected”.
“Over the past year, the NAF has consistently applied its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response – Action Plan (CHMR-AP), embedding civilian protection considerations into all phases of operations while strengthening training, procedures, and safeguards aimed at minimising harm,” the statement reads.
NAF said a civilian harm accident and investigation (CHAI) team has been activated to carry out an “immediate and comprehensive investigation into the reported incident”.
“Guided by the principles of accountability, responsibility, and transparency, the NAF assures Nigerians of its unwavering resolve to take responsibility where required, implement necessary improvements, and safeguard innocent lives, while continuing to defend the nation with professionalism, restraint, and respect for the trust placed in it by the Nigerian people,” the statement reads.
