There is a strong contention between the Military and civilian population in Sokoto State as a Christmas day airstrikes allegedly killed 10 villagers as well as injured many in Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The authorities in the north west state have however, launched a probe into the tragedy which has sparked wild condemnation across the country as concerned individuals worry that it is becoming a recurring feature in our polity.
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu said in a statement he is discussing with the Nigerian Army to ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the airstrikes.
Although the military said in a statement earlier that it was targeting Lakurawa terror group and not law-abiding citizens in the villages.
In November, the authorities announced the emergence of the Lakurawa terror group in the northwest and said security forces were tracking the group’s activities. Their effort is not out place but it must take into cognizance the imperative of sage-guarding the innocent majority who get caught up in the milieu.
Governor Aliyu and several prominent Nigerians have extended their condolences to the victims’ families as the governor pledged to support them with cash and food.
The incident is the latest in a series of accidental strikes in recent years, raising concerns among human rights groups, including Amnesty International.
The military said that it did not target civilians and that it took necessary measures to avoid such accidents.
We join other citizens to call on the military authorities to probe this incident and ensure that anyone who in the line of duty was negligent to the extent that several lives were wasted should be brought to book according to the relevant provisions of our laws. Nigeria should not be treated like ungoverned territories where outlaws and dissidents hold sway.
We appreciate the enormity of the military’s efforts to curb the excesses of terrorists, armed gangs and separatists for years, but it is excuse to keep experiencing unprecedented civilian casualties often. There is the need to cultivate a safety net for civilians to mitigate such casualties in the future.
While the list of tragedies keeps adding up, there appears to be no lesson learnt from previous fatalities in which several Nigerians have been killed. Only last December, a military airstrike that hit Tudun Biri village in northern Kaduna State was believed to have killed more than 120 people.
In September, another airstrike in Kaduna killed 24 people.
While there is the need to tackle this budding terrorist group before they get out of hand, we must be cautious in undertaking any offensive and avoid measures that would jeopardize the essence of the exercise.
