- The NAF refuted the claims, stating that the operation specifically targeted a terrorist logistics base in Yadi Forest
Residents of Jika da Kolo and Yadin Kidandan in Kaduna State have accused the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) of mistakenly bombing their community during an anti-terrorist operation, leaving at least 23 civilians dead.
According to local sources, the victims included worshippers at a mosque and traders at a nearby market. However, the NAF refuted the claims, stating that the operation specifically targeted a terrorist logistics base in Yadi Forest.
“Reports from independent sources confirmed that the logistics base was totally destroyed and scores of terrorists were killed as a result of the attack,” said Group Captain Kabiru Ali, NAF’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information.
Residents countered the NAF’s statement, insisting that most of the casualties were civilians. “The strike disfigured the bodies of most of those affected. We gathered 23 mutilated bodies and buried them according to Islamic rites,” said a villager.
The councillor representing the area, Abdullahi Ismail, confirmed the incident, noting that while Yadin Kidandan is under the control of bandits, many innocent villagers still live there because they have nowhere else to go.
Survivors described hearing a plane approach before an explosion shook the community. “Family members went to the scene and recognized their relatives for the funeral,” a villager recounted.
The community is now calling on the federal and Kaduna State governments to investigate the incident. “It is a difficult moment for us,” said a local resident.
Group Captain Ali defended the operation, explaining that it was based on extensive intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, which confirmed the presence of terrorists at the targeted location. He reiterated that the NAF, in collaboration with ground forces, would continue operations to eliminate terrorist threats in the North-west and North-central regions.