A tragic airstrike by the Nigerian military on Thursday has resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians and left six others injured in Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria. The airstrikes, carried out by two military jets, were part of an operation targeting suspected jihadists from the Lakurawa group. However, the missiles mistakenly hit the villages of Gidan Bisa and Runtawa, located on the outskirts of the Surame forest, where the militants were believed to be hiding.
The strikes, which occurred around 7:00 am local time, caused significant destruction. Several homes, livestock, and grain silos were destroyed in the attack, leaving the affected villages in ruins. Abubakar Muhammad, the local administrator of Silame district, confirmed the casualties, describing the loss as a tragedy. “We lost 10 people in the incident, and six others were injured. Many homes, livestock, and grain silos were destroyed in the airstrikes,” Muhammad stated during a visit to the site.
Sokoto’s state governor, Ahmad Aliyu, called the attack an “accidental misfire” and urged for a full investigation to determine the cause of the incident. He expressed deep regret over the loss of civilian lives and promised to work with the Nigerian military for accountability. Aliyu also shared images from the scene showing at least seven bodies wrapped in cloth and plastic mats, along with charred remains of livestock and burnt mud houses.
Initially, an aide to President Bola Tinubu had dismissed the reports of civilian deaths as “fake news,” but later retracted the statement, acknowledging the complexities of reporting in areas where civilians and militants are often intertwined. “I deeply regret any misunderstanding my initial report may have caused,” said Dada Olusegun, an aide to the president, on social media.
Despite the civilian casualties, Nigerian military officials maintained that the targets were jihadists linked to the Lakurawa group. Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi emphasized that the airstrikes were carried out based on “thorough intelligence and reconnaissance missions” to ensure precision in the operation. The military defended its actions, asserting that they were justified due to the ongoing threats posed by terrorist groups.
This latest incident follows a similar tragedy in December 2023, when Nigerian forces mistakenly attacked a religious gathering in Kaduna state, killing at least 85 civilians, mostly women and children. The recurring mistakes by the military underscore the challenges of conducting operations in regions heavily populated by both militants and civilians.
