Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja, Nigeria — Only hours after the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) publicly pledged to safeguard civilians during military operations, multiple civilian deaths have been reported following airstrikes in Borno State on Sunday, December 14, 2025, raising renewed concerns about the protection of non-combatants amid the government’s counter-terrorism campaign.
According to security sources cited by Premium Times, airstrikes targeting positions believed to be held by insurgents were conducted throughout the day in the Mararaba area of Kukawa Local Government Area, with aircraft flying missions between about 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. on that Sunday.
The sources reported that several fishermen and commercial drivers, who were gathered at a road junction connecting Kukawa to Daban Masara and Badeiri in nearby Marte Local Government Area, were killed during the raids. These civilians, according to community accounts, were engaged in routine economic activity — transporting fish and other goods — at the time of the strikes.
One security insider confirmed at least three confirmed casualties and the destruction of about 10 vehicles, though the total number of civilian deaths remains uncertain as of this report. Some of the injured were said to have been moved to General Hospital Mungono for treatment.
The incident occurred shortly after the NAF and military leadership publicly emphasised their commitment to protecting civilians and minimising non-combatant harm during air operations, including through strategies such as the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMRAP), which seeks to integrate civilian safety into planning and execution.
Despite these assurances, the reported civilian toll in Borno has sparked immediate concern among residents, human rights advocates and observers in the region, where years of insurgency have already produced severe humanitarian and security challenges. Critics argue that even well-intended air campaigns can yield tragic outcomes when intelligence is imperfect or when densely populated rural areas are involved.
For its part, the Nigerian Air Force had not, by the time of this report, issued an official statement acknowledging the civilian deaths or providing details of the operation that led to them. Sources say military briefings referenced the airstrikes at a security briefing in the North-West but did not directly address the civilian impact.
The strikes took place within the broader context of Operation Hadin Kai, the long-running joint military effort aimed at degrading Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and allied insurgent groups across northeastern Nigeria. In recent years, air components of this operation have been credited by the military with eliminating scores of insurgents and destroying bases in Borno and neighbouring states. However, civilian casualty episodes — such as this most recent incident — remain deeply controversial, drawing criticism from local communities and rights organisations over the risks of air power in environments where civilians are intermingled with suspected fighters.
Humanitarian workers and civil society prompted for urgent clarification and accountability, stressing that respect for civilian life must remain central even as security forces pursue militant elements. They also called for transparent investigation into the circumstances that led to the deaths, including whether sufficient efforts were made to verify targets and minimize collateral damage before or during the mission.
The reported casualties underscore the ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s northeast between the imperatives of confronting entrenched insurgency and the equally pressing need to protect civilians and uphold human rights standards. As operations continue, the government’s ability to reduce unintended civilian harm — and to credibly communicate efforts to do so — will influence public confidence in the security strategy and in broader efforts to restore lasting peace to affected communities.
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