Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities both in the Silame local government area of Sokoto State, Northwestern part of Nigeria, have been erroneously being bombarded by the military fighter jets while trying to neutralize the Lakurawa terror sect in those areas.
The affected communities according to a source in the community are Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, who said the incident occurred around 7 am on Christmas Day (Wednesday)
The source from Silame who gave his name as Malam Yahya said that, the two villages were located close to Surame forest which was identified as another hideout of Lakurawa and bandits.
The source said no fewer than 10 villagers were killed with several others sustaining various degrees of injuries during the airstrike.
Also confirming the attack, the chairman of the Silame local government area, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, said his team were still assessing the level of damage caused by the airstrike.
“The villagers were sitting peacefully when the bombs started dropping on the communities. They were innocent and peace-loving people who had no criminal record.
“It is too early to confirm the number of people either killed or injured because we are still assessing the development,” he said
However, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i declined comment on the matter, saying it was not their operation.
Efforts to speak with the spokesman of the Air Force in the state were not successful as his number was not reachable at the time of this report.
Meanwhile, social media users in the state have condemned the development which they described as heartless and condemnable.
They appeal to the security agents to be more professional in their dealings while urging the state government to as a matter of urgency intervene in the incident to ensure those injured get adequate treatment.
