Ahmad Aliyu, the Sokoto State Governor, has urged the victims of the Nigerian military’s accidental bombing on 25 December to accept the tragedy as part of their fate.
His remarks came after a military airstrike reportedly killed 10 people and injured six others in the villages of Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama in the Silame local government area.
The bombing was described by the governor as an unfortunate error made by the military in their efforts to protect the community.
In addition to the human fatalities, an estimated 100 animals, including camels, cows, and donkeys, perished in the attack.
Sokoto State Governor Aliyu, who attended the victims’ burial, reassured the community that the bombing was a mistake.
“Have you heard the news that some people have entered this country, and this isn’t the first time the soldiers have attacked them? They attacked the first time, the second time, and the third time, and each time, they were successful. So, this is considered destiny, and as Muslims, it’s good for us to accept destiny, whether it’s good or bad,” BBC quoted the governor as saying in Hausa.
Governor Aliyu also pledged to work with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and to prevent such attacks from happening again. In the meantime, he provided aid to the affected community, including 100 bags of food and approximately 20 million naira.
“We will work with all relevant authorities to ensure that an investigation is carried out to determine the cause of the incident and to consider the appropriate course of action to prevent it from happening again.”
Silame local government chairman Abubakar Muhammad confirmed that both air and ground forces participated in the attack.
“The air force entered the area with heavy tanks,” he said. “They called me this morning and told me bombs had dropped, and I investigated and confirmed that it had happened.”
Muhammad, who, along with Governor Aliyu, took part in burying the victims, described the bombing as a relentless attack. “This is a relentless attack,” he explained, stating that the military did not cease until the state government intervened.
The villages are located near the Surame desert, a known hideout for the newly emerging Lakurawa militant group.
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