Widespread reports on Wednesday of an accidental bombing of two communities in Sokoto State by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet targeting Lakurawa terrorists, has been debunked by a security expert in the area.
The initial report had claimed that an unspecified number of people were killed while several others were injured on Wednesday morning when the NAF mistakenly bombed Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa villages in the Silame local government area of state.
The chairman of Silame LGA, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, who also confirmed the accidental bombing to journalists, was emphatic when he insisted that the bombing was carried out by the air force.
“The villagers were sitting peacefully when the bombs started dropping on the communities. They were innocent and peace-loving people without criminal record,” Daftarana had stated.
However, a counter-insurgency and security expert, Zagazola Makama, who claimed to have carried out fact-check on the incident, stated that the airstrikes were not a mistake as the NAF jet had carried out a precise attack on the locations which harboured the Lakurawa terrorists.
Makama who countered the LG chairman in a post on his X handle on Wednesday night, wrote:
“Reports circulating about alleged airstrikes on innocent villagers in Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State, have been found to be false.
“Contrary to the claims that over ten villagers were killed and several others injured during an airstrike, the locations targeted in the airstrikes were identified as known hideouts of the Lakurawa bandits.
“These communities in question had been largely abandoned by their original residents due to persistent banditry and were subsequently repurposed as enclaves for criminal activities.
“Intelligence sources contacted by Zagazola confirmed that the airstrikes were the result of weeks of intelligence gathering and careful surveillance of the bandits’ movements.
“The sources said ‘we received consistent intelligence reports from the Sokoto State Government and security agencies regarding the activities of the Lakurawa terrorists in the area.
‘Before the operation, independent reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions were carried out to confirm the targets and avoid collateral damage. Precision is always our priority in air operations.’
“The source further stated: ‘today’s airstrikes specifically targeted identified hideouts of the Lakurawas. We cannot carry out any strikes without days of monitoring and verification.
‘This is a normal practice in air operations so as to achieve precision in attacking our intended targets. These locations were no longer inhabited by their original residents, making it impossible for innocent civilians to be affected.’
‘I can confirm to you that no innocent civilians were affected, as these locations were no longer inhabited by their original residents.’
‘The operation was executed precisely to eliminate bandit hideouts that had been terrorizing the region,’ he said.
“Further verification by Zagazola corroborates that the targeted sites were active bandit hideouts and not populated villages. The observation also confirmed that the bandits had been chased to the locations following a sustained military operation aimed at dismantling their networks.
“Additionally, there were no reports of casualties among civilians, no burials conducted, and no families reported missing loved ones to local authorities.
“The Chairman of Silame LGA, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, acknowledged the airstrikes in the location but refrained from confirming any civilian casualties, stating that the area had been under assessment.
“It’s clear that the Chairman doesn’t have complete information about the situation,” the source added.
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