A military airstrike targeting Lakurawa terrorists struck the villages of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa in Sokoto’s Silame Local Government Area at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 10 civilians and injuring several others, according to residents and community leaders.
The operation also destroyed homes and livestock.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu visited the affected areas, offering condolences and pledging a thorough investigation. He stated that the strike, though unintentional, was part of a broader effort to neutralize terrorists.
“This was not deliberate. We must accept it as Muslims,” the governor remarked after participating in funeral prayers for the deceased. He announced N20 million in aid and 100 bags of grains for the victims’ families.
Military authorities maintained that the airstrike was based on intelligence confirming the presence of Lakurawa terrorists in the vicinity. Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi of Operation Fansan Yamma stressed the importance of verified information to avoid misinformation and defended the precision of their operations.
This incident adds to a string of accidental airstrikes across northern Nigeria, raising the total civilian death toll in the past decade to over 450.
Past similar incidents include a September 2024 airstrike in Kaduna that claimed 23 lives and the December 2023 tragedy in Kaduna that killed over 100 civilians during a Maulud celebration.
These incidents continue to stir debate about the balance between counterterrorism efforts and civilian protection in Nigeria’s conflict zones.
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