ABUJA-(MaraviPost)-An air strike by the Nigerian army targeting ‘bandits’ has killed seven children and wounded five others.
The governor of the Maradi region, Chaibou Aboubacar, disclosed this on Sunday, February 20 in a statement.
“There was a mistake with the Nigerian strikes on the border that resulted in victims on our territory in the village of Nachade.
“The victims are 12 children, seven of them dead and five wounded”, said Aboubacar.
The governor who visited the children’s graves on Saturday added that four children died instantly while three others succumbed to their injuries while being transported to hospital.
The parents were attending a ceremony and the children were playing when the strikes hit them, Barrons reported.
The planes were targeting armed bandits in the border areas, but missed their target and landed on the children.
In 2018, Niamey reinforced military patrols along its border with Nigeria to prevent the incursions of these gangs which carry out assassinations, kidnappings for ransom, attacks on traders and raids on cattle which they then lead into Nigeria.
In April 2021, International Crisis Group (ICG) said it feared a third jihadist centre could emerge in this region of Maradi, exploiting the actions of Nigerian gangs and conflicts between local communities.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that Maradi is currently hosting about 100,000 Nigerian refugees, who have fled the relentless attacks in their country.
