Residents of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Sokoto State have rejected the military’s claim that terrorists were responsible for the deaths caused by a bombing on Christmas Day. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had initially targeted Lakurawa terrorists but mistakenly dropped explosives on the villages, killing at least 10 people and destroying livestock, homes, and food stores.
While NAF spokesperson Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa defended the airstrike, citing credible intelligence and surveillance, villagers dispute this, insisting that the victims were innocent farmers with no ties to the terrorists. Local government chairman Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad emphasized that the victims were non-terrorists, mourning the destruction of their community.
Witnesses recount the early-morning attack, with Faruk Abubakar describing seeing the aircraft approach before explosions followed by fires. Others, like Alhaji Audu Abubakar, lost loved ones in the blast and called for justice, condemning the military’s claims. Villagers are calling for a thorough investigation and government support, as the attack left them homeless, foodless, and grieving.
At the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, six injured victims were treated, with four still in critical condition. The Defence Headquarters later clarified that the fatalities were caused by secondary explosions from the destruction of a terrorist logistics base, not the airstrike itself. However, local officials and witnesses maintain that the strike directly caused the deaths.
