- Silame locals said the two villages were located close to Surame Forest identified as another hideout of Lakurawa and other criminal elements
In what appears to be either a grave miscalculation or costly case of mistaken identity, fighter jet carrying out airstrikes against the notorious Lakurawa terrorists have bombed many villagers in Sokoto State.
The military aerial onslaught happened at Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Silame Local Government Area of the State.
Many villagers were also injured in the air raids that locals said occured around 7am on Wednesday.
Silame locals said the two villages were located close to Surame Forest identified as another enclave of Lakurawa and other criminal elements.
According to Daily Trust, 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, confirmed the attack, saying they were still assessing the level of damage caused by the airstrike.
He stated that many of the victims are easygoing and peaceful individuals who had never been involved in any criminal activities.
“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