.We must stop this tragic cycle of death- Atiku
.Accept your fate as Muslims, Sokoto Gov tells mourners
.Attends burial of 10 victims
.As Presidency denies bombing
IBRAHIM QUADRI, Lagos with agency report
Outrage yesterday trailed the bombing of two villages in Sokoto state by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet that left no fewer than 10 persons dead and several others injured with the Force promising to launch a thorough investigation into Christmas day airstrikes.
According to residents, the incident, which occurred around 7am at Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Silame Local Government Area (LGA), claimed the lives of 10 civilians and left many others injured.
Animals were also reportedly killed, with residents claiming that some of their houses were destroyed by the impact of the airstrikes.
They said the fighter jet was targeting Lakurawa terrorists in the areas, but in the process, dropped explosives on some innocent people.
But, in a statement, the joint media coordinator for the operation, Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, said the airstrikes targeted locations confirmed to be associated with the Lakurawa terrorist group.
Abdullahi said all military operations are based on “thorough intelligence and reconnaissance missions” to ensure precision and protect civilian lives.
“These reports have raised concerns; however, it is crucial to clarify that all military operations are conducted based on thorough intelligence and reconnaissance missions,” the statement reads.
Also reacting, the NAF spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, insisted the airstrikes were carried out based on credible intelligence from multiple sources and confirmatory aerial surveillance.
He, however, assured that reports of civilian casualties would be thoroughly investigated.
“The airstrikes were conducted based on credible intelligence from multiple sources, along with confirmatory aerial surveillance. Nevertheless, reports of possible harm to civilians will be thoroughly investigated and we will update you appropriately,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has denied reports that fighter jets mistakenly bombed some communities in Sokoto State while targeting terrorists.
The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, made the denial in a post via his X account late on Wednesday night.
The presidential media aide described the reports of a mistaken bombing of communities in Sokoto State as fake and urged members of the public to disregard them.
He wrote: “Kindly disregard any news about fighter jets mistakenly bombing communities in Sokoto. It’s all fake!”
However , former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar has condemned the alleged accidental bombing by the Nigerian Military
Atiku took to social media platform X to react to the attack. He described the airstrike as “an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms.”
Atiku questioned the lessons learned from past tragedies, citing the December 3, 2023, airstrike on a religious gathering at Tudun Biri, near Kaduna, which he said claimed tens of innocent lives.
He stressed the need for precision and irrefutable intelligence in targeting terrorists, stating that “the indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens… can never be justified.”
He appealed for an end to the “tragic cycle of death” and urged the government to learn from past mistakes.
He extended his condolences to the grieving families and the people of Sokoto, saying, “May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace.”
Earlier reports had claimed that numerous villagers were feared to have lost their lives, while several others sustained injuries following an airstrike by a fighter jet that targeted the Lakurawa terrorist group.
The airstrike allegedly resulted in the bombing of two communities within the Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State, specifically Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa.
According to residents, the incident occurred around 7 a.m. on Wednesday. A resident of Silame, Malam Yahya, mentioned that the two villages are situated close to Surame Forest, a known hideout for the Lakurawa group and bandits.
Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu has urged the victims of the Nigerian military’s accidental bombing on 25 December to accept the tragedy as part of their fate.
His remarks came after a military airstrike reportedly killed 10 people and injured six others in the villages of Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama in the Silame local government area.
The bombing was described by the governor as an unfortunate error made by the military in their efforts to protect the community.
Besides the human fatalities, an estimated 100 animals, including camels, cows, and donkeys, perished in the attack.
Governor Aliyu, who attended the victims’ burial, reassured the community that the bombing was a mistake.
“Have you heard the news that some people have entered this country, and this isn’t the first time the soldiers have attacked them? They attacked the first time, the second time, and the third time, and each time, they were successful. So, this is considered destiny, and as Muslims, it’s good for us to accept destiny, whether it’s good or bad,” BBC quoted the governor as saying in Hausa.
Governor Aliyu also pledged to work with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and to prevent such attacks from happening again.
In the meantime, he provided aid to the affected community, including 100 bags of food and approximately 20 million naira.
“We will work with all relevant authorities to ensure that an investigation is carried out to determine the cause of the incident and to consider the appropriate course of action to prevent it from happening again.”
Silame local government chairman Abubakar Muhammad confirmed that both air and ground forces participated in the attack. “The air force entered the area with heavy tanks,” he said.
“They called me this morning and told me bombs had dropped, and I investigated and confirmed that it had happened.”
Muhammad, who, along with Governor Aliyu, took part in burying the victims, described the bombing as a relentless attack. “This is a relentless attack,” he explained, stating that the military did not cease until the state government intervened.
The villages are located near the Surame desert, a known hideout for the newly emerging Lakurawa militant group.
The devastating airstrike that claimed the lives of nearly a dozen innocent civilians and left many others wounded in the peaceful communities of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa in Sokoto State is an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms.
Meanwhile, Sokoto State Governor Aliyu, who attended the victims’ burial, reassured the community that the bombing was a mistake.
“Have you heard the news that some people have entered this country, and this isn’t the first time the soldiers have attacked them? They attacked the first time, the second time, and the third time, and each time, they were successful. So, this is considered destiny, and as Muslims, it’s good for us to accept destiny, whether it’s good or bad,” BBC quoted the governor as saying in Hausa.
Governor Aliyu also pledged to work with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and to prevent such attacks from happening again.
In the meantime, he provided aid to the affected community, including 100 bags of food and approximately 20 million naira.
“We will work with all relevant authorities to ensure that an investigation is carried out to determine the cause of the incident and to consider the appropriate course of action to prevent it from happening again.”
Silame local government chairman Abubakar Muhammad confirmed that both air and ground forces participated in the attack. “The air force entered the area with heavy tanks,” he said.
“They called me this morning and told me bombs had dropped, and I investigated and confirmed that it had happened.”
Muhammad, who, along with Governor Aliyu, took part in burying the victims, described the bombing as a relentless attack. “This is a relentless attack,” he explained, stating that the military did not cease until the state government intervened.
The villages are located near the Surame desert, a known hideout for the newly emerging Lakurawa militant group.
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