Different Stories About Nigerian Military Attack

May 12, 2026, 17:07
AfricaInternational

Introduction

The Nigerian army and human rights groups disagree about how many people died in a recent air attack.

Main Body

On Sunday, the army attacked a market in Zamfara State. Amnesty International says 100 civilians died. Many of these people were women and children. The Red Cross says this is true. But the Nigerian army says this is not true. Major General Michael Onoja says they have no proof of dead civilians. He says the army only attacks bad fighters. This is not the first time. In April, 200 civilians died in another attack in Jilli. Nigeria has many problems with bad groups and fighters in the north.

Conclusion

The army continues to fight in the area. They still say the reports from Amnesty International are wrong.

Learning

🚩 Spotting the 'Opposite' Word

In this story, two groups say different things. We can use the word BUT to show a change in direction or a disagreement.

  • Group A says: 100 people died.
  • But → Group B says: This is not true.

🛠️ Useful Word Pairs

Look at how the text describes people. To reach A2, you need to describe groups simply:

  • Civilians → Normal people (not soldiers).
  • Fighters → People who fight in a war.

🕒 Talking about the Past

When we talk about things that already happened, we change the action word:

  • Attack →\rightarrow Attacked
  • Die →\rightarrow Died
  • Say →\rightarrow Said (Though the text uses 'says' for current opinions, 'died' is used for the event).

Vocabulary Learning

army (n.)
A group of soldiers who work for a country.
Example:The army protects the country from danger.
market (n.)
A place where people buy and sell goods.
Example:I went to the market to buy fresh vegetables.
state (n.)
A region or area that is part of a country.
Example:Zamfara State is located in northern Nigeria.
people (n.)
Human beings in general.
Example:Many people attended the event.
attack (v.)
To strike or assault someone or something.
Example:The army attacked the enemy base.
died (v.)
To stop living.
Example:Many civilians died in the bombing.
air (n.)
The invisible mixture of gases that surrounds Earth.
Example:The plane flew through clear air.
Sunday (n.)
The seventh day of the week.
Example:We usually have a family dinner on Sunday.
women (n.)
Adult female human beings.
Example:The charity supports women in need.
children (n.)
Young human beings who are not yet adults.
Example:The school provides education for children.
proof (n.)
Evidence that shows something is true.
Example:He gave proof that he had finished the work.
wrong (adj.)
Not correct or not true.
Example:It is wrong to lie to your friends.