CITIZENS COMPASS– Many persons were feared dead while others were injured on Christmas day, in Sokoto State, when a fighter jet targeting Lakurawa terrorist group erroneously bombed two communities.
This occurred in Silame Local Government Area of the State.
The affected communities were Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa. According to locals, the incident occurred at about 7a.m.
A resident of Silame, who gave his name as Malam Yahya, told Daily Trust that the two villages were located close to Surame Forest, identified as another hideout of Lakurawa and bandits.
Another source told Daily Trust that over 10 villagers were killed and several others sustained varying degrees of injury during the airstrike.
The chairman of Silame LGA, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, however, confirmed the attack, saying they 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 was early for me to confirm the number of people either killed or injured because we are still assessing the development,” he said.
Spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufai, declined comment on the matter, saying it was not a police operation.
—Daily Trust
