….CDS Insists Military Avoided Mistakes, Promises Probe
Hours after the tragic airstrike in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State, a survivor has recounted the harrowing experience of watching her family perish in the ensuing inferno.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, the distraught woman, who requested anonymity, described how her father, mother, and four younger siblings were burnt to death during the airstrike.
Through tears, she said, “I saw them burning—my mother, my father, and my three younger brothers.”
The airstrike, allegedly carried out by a Nigerian military warplane, occurred on Tuesday morning, targeting suspected insurgents in the area. However, the attack reportedly claimed the lives of 10 civilians, injured six others, and killed around 100 animals, including camels, cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
One resident, Usman Manuga, narrated: “After the Fajr (early morning) prayer, we noticed planes flying overhead. Moments later, bombs were dropped, and everything went up in flames.”
At the funeral for the victims on Wednesday evening, Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State described the incident as an unfortunate mistake.
“This situation was destined to happen. The officials acted with the intention of protecting this community. However, we will ensure a thorough investigation is conducted to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
The governor announced the provision of 100 bags of food supplies and ₦20 million in relief funds to support the affected families.
Abubakar Muhammad, Chairman of the Silame Local Government, confirmed the incident, stating that two warplanes were involved in the attack, which struck the villages of Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa.
“The attacks were relentless, and it took the intervention of the state government to halt them. Both the Air Force and ground forces participated in the operation,” he said.
The affected villages are located near the Surame desert, believed to be a stronghold for Lakurawa insurgents.
This tragedy marks the ninth accidental military airstrike on civilians in Nigeria in recent years. Previous incidents include:
December 3, 2023: A drone strike killed 85 worshippers celebrating Maulud in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State.
September 2021: An airstrike in Yunusari, Yobe State, resulted in 10 civilian deaths.
January 2017: A military strike on a refugee camp in Rann, Borno State, claimed numerous civilian lives.
Call for Accountability
Governor Aliyu assured the community that efforts are underway to investigate the incident thoroughly and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The survivor and other affected residents continue to grapple with their unimaginable loss, hoping that measures will be taken to ensure civilians are protected during military operations.
CDS Insists Military Avoided Mistakes, Promises Probe
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has insisted that there was no mistake in the military airstrikes targeted at the members of the Lakurawa terrorist group in Sokoto on Wednesday
A fighter jet bombed two communities in the Silame Local Government Area of the state, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others.
The Sokoto State Government had that claimed 10 people who lost their lives in the strikes were “innocent villagers.”
But visiting the North-Western State a day after the incident, the CDS addressed journalists at the Giginya Cantonment Sokoto and maintained that those killed were criminals.
He, however, said that investigation would be launched into the matter.
“We have individuals that still harbour those people and once you do that, you make yourself a target. Our appeal is please do not allow them hang around you, do not give them any support in whatever means.”
“The incident that happened yesterday is an operation we conducted. We followed up and ensure we avoided mistakes as much as possible. If there were other mistakes that came up, we will investigate.
“From what we have seen, there were criminals in that place. Anybody that toyed with them was part of them.
“We want to appeal to the media, always understand that those guys want to use the media to send their message across. That is what it is dangerous not to agree to what they are saying.”
General Musa stated that regardless of the controversy surrounding the airstrikes, the military would continue with its operations and would not relent in fighting criminal elements but would avoid civilian casualties.
He explained that the military “would avoid civilian casualties as long as even they do avoid staying where the criminals are. It makes the job extremely difficult if we say wherever they are with the criminals, we avoid.
“If you are not with them, please leave their area and come out so that it gives us the ability to deal with them decisively.”
He also used the opportunity of his visit to have Christmas lunch with the troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, an operation aimed at ridding the state of bandits.
Gov Visits Communities
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has visited the two communities that were bombed by the military fighter jets.
At least 10 people were killed with several others injured.
The governor defied the difficult terrain of the village and joined other residents for the funeral prayers for the dead victims. He donated ₦20 million to support the families of those affected by the incident.
He was accompanied by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in the state, Senator Aliyu Wamakko and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi.
The governor sympathised with the community and described the incident as unfortunate.
“The military jets were on their mission to eliminate criminals armed groups terrorizing the state, and mistakenly bombed innocent people of this community,” he said.
“We consider this as a mistake because the same military had on several occasions successfully raided so many criminal hideouts in the state.”
