On Wednesday, December 25, many villagers were feared dead while several others were injured as a fighter jet targeting the Lakurawa terrorist group mistakenly bombed two communities in the Silame local government area of Sokoto state.
According to reports making the rounds on Wednesday, the affected communities were Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa.
Speaking on the development, locals disclosed to the press that the tragic incident occurred in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Residents confirm
A resident of Silame, who gave his name as Malam Yahya, noted 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 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.
When contacted the Spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i declined comment on the matter, saying it was not the police operation.