According to The New York Times, the Nigerian military has employed "scorched-earth standards" in their fight against Boko Haram, with civilians routinely killed during operations in poor neighborhoods.

[3] The commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force Brigadier General Austin Edokpaye accused residents of Baga of shielding Boko Haram members prior to the attack.

On the evening of 16 April, members of Boko Haram engaged government soldiers at a military post outside Baga, killing one of them.

[3] The United States's acting deputy State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell, on 22 April 2013, condemned the clash between the Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram militants in Baga, urging authorities to respect human rights.

[9] Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission announced on 29 April 2013 that it would conduct an investigation into the incident.