A fighter jet mistakenly bombed two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State in the early hours yesterday.
The jet, targeting Lakurawa jihadists in the Surame forest, dropped bombs on assemblies of innocent villagers in Gidan Bisa, Gitta Rana, and Runtuwa villages of Silame Ward in Silame Local Government Area.
According to Yahaya Mohammed Silame, a resident of the area and former information officer of Silame Local Government, one of the affected villages, Gitta Rana, is home to the current chairman of Silame Local Government Area.
He stated that about 10 villagers were reportedly killed, although many believe the death toll is much higher.
Several victims, who suffered varying degrees of injuries from the airstrike, are receiving treatment in hospital for shrapnel wounds.
The chairman of Silame Local Government, Abubakar Mohammed Daftarana, told our correspondent that his council is still assessing the scale of damage caused by the aerial bombardment.
“The communities were sitting peacefully outside their homes taking a break when they heard the thundering sounds of bombs dropped by the jet as it passed overhead,” he said.
Surame Forest is believed to be a hideout for the self-acclaimed jihadists known as Lakurawa.
Attempts to reach the public relations officer of the Sokoto State Police Command for confirmation were unsuccessful despite several calls by our correspondent.
Governor Ahmed, accompanied by members of the state executive council and APC stalwarts, has since condoled with the families of the victims of the airstrike.
He urged pilots engaged in combating criminal elements to maintain professionalism and ensure accuracy in their operations to avoid hitting wrong targets and harming innocent civilians.
