Chai! Na wah oh, as Niger military wey don carry drone strikes come dey take lives like say na play. January 6, 2026, for Kokoloko village, dem strike miss road land for crowded market and e don result for 17 civilians wey die, 4 of dem na pikin. Wetin dis world don turn to sef?
Human Rights Watch don expose this one, say e be like wahala for the laws of war. E no fit follow the rules wey dey guide how military suppose act. Dem shoot say the drone strike also carry 3 Islamist fighters go give dem groundworks, but wey civilians dey there chop market? E no join!
The strike happen na for Tillabéri region, close to Burkina Faso border. From Niamey wey be Koko kuma capital, na about 120 kilometers away. Villagers talk say IS Sahel fighters dey patronize market before kasala burst, and dem dey use civilian dress sef while dem surround the area.
Make we break am down: Some witnesses say between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., dem sight one drone fly around twice, then around 1:30 p.m. it come drop bomb for market. How e go happen when crowd dey gather – woman wey dey sell rice, pikin dey run around the place? One trader wey dey lucky escape say he see how the thing happen, na him talk say he hear whistling before grand style explosion.
Wetin happen afterward no be small revenge. The bodies wey dem find? Sabi say many don burn beyond recognition, and we no fit even identify dem. Man of God wey dey 67 years old say him count 17 bodies – mostly women and children. E pain heart, especially when dem say IS Sahel fighters come help carry the bodies go cemetery.
As the news don spread, almost all the 1,200 residents wey dey Kokoloko start pack their load run, many don cross scatter enter Mali even with their children. One woman wey don lost two family members for the drone strike drop tears when she talk say she just manage escape with her children, na serious case!
Abeg, this na serious matter! Human Rights Watch don demand say Niger authorities do proper investigation; e no fit just slide like that. We dey look for who go answer for this atrocity; because laws of war no fit dey break like this.
For the long run, we all sabi say war no dey sweet. Every day, na wetin we dey see for different parts of the world. Human Rights Watch talk say make governments wey dey support Niger’s military ginger dem go give serious thought to the implications of these actions. We go need to protect civilians better – make e no be say we go dey see more grave where pikin go dey buried.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
