Accept accidental airstrike as fate – Sokoto Governor Ahmad Aliyu to victims

Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu has called on victims of the Nigerian military’s accidental bombing on December 25 to accept the incident as a misfortune of fate.

The airstrike, which mistakenly targeted the villages of Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama in Silame Local Government Area, resulted in the deaths of 10 people and injuries to six others. The attack also claimed the lives of approximately 100 animals, including camels, cows, and donkeys.

Describing the incident as an unfortunate error by the military during its operations to safeguard the community, Governor Aliyu attended the victims’ burial and expressed his condolences. He reassured residents that the tragedy was not intentional, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring future precautions.

“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.