On Wednesday morning, two communities in Sokoto State’s Silame Local Government Area were accidentally bombed by a fighter plane that was targeting the Lakurawa terrorist group.
Several civilians were injured during the airstrike, and many were thought to have died.
The impacted communities of Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama are close to Surame Forest, which is a well-known hiding place for bandits and the Lakurawa clan. Locals claim that the incident happened at around seven in the morning.
Silame resident Malam Yahya recounted the terrifying incident, pointing out that the people there were peaceful and innocent.
According to a different account, the attack claimed the lives of over ten residents and injured numerous more.
However, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, the chairman of Silame LGA, acknowledged the incident and stated that they were still determining the extent of the airstrike’s damage.
When the bombs began to fall on the settlements, the inhabitants were sitting calmly. They were peace-loving, innocent individuals without a criminal history. “We are still evaluating the development, so it was too early for me to confirm the number of people killed or injured,” he stated.
ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, refused to comment when asked about the situation, claiming it was not a police operation.