Many lives were feared lost, and several others sustained injuries after a fighter jet, aimed at targeting the Lakurawa terrorist group, mistakenly bombed two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The incident, which occurred around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, affected the villages of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa.
According to locals, these communities are situated near Surame Forest, known to be a hideout for Lakurawa members and bandits.
A resident of Silame, Malam Yahya, confirmed the proximity of the villages to the forest, while another source disclosed that over ten villagers were killed in the airstrike, with many others injured.
According to Daily Trust, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, Chairman of Silame LGA, acknowledged the attack and stated that efforts were underway to determine the extent of the casualties and damage.
“The villagers were sitting peacefully when the bombs started dropping on the communities. They were innocent and peace-loving people who had no any 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.
Efforts to get comments from the Sokoto State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, declined to comment, citing that the incident was outside the purview of police operations.
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