A tragic military airstrike on December 25 killed 10 people and injured six others in the villages of Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama in the Silame local government area of Sokoto State.
However, Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu has called on the victims’ families to accept the tragedy as part of their fate.
He described the bombing as an unfortunate error made by the military in their efforts to protect the community.
The governor’s remarks came after attending the victims’ burial, where he 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,” Governor Aliyu said, as quoted by BBC in Hausa.
In addition to the human fatalities, around 100 animals, including camels, cows, and donkeys, perished in the attack.
Governor Aliyu pledged to work with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and to prevent such attacks from happening again.
He also provided aid to the affected community, including 100 bags of food and approximately 20 million naira.
Silame local government chairman Abubakar Muhammad confirmed that both air and ground forces participated in the attack, describing it as a relentless attack that did not cease until the state government intervened.
