A tragic airstrike on Wednesday morning has left several villagers feared dead in two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Fighter jets, reportedly targeting terrorists from the Lakurawa group, bombed the villages of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, situated near the Surame Forest—an area known to be a stronghold for bandits and terrorists.

Local residents have claimed that over 10 villagers were killed and many others injured when bombs dropped on the peaceful communities at around 7am. One villager, who survived the attack, described the scene as one of chaos, with innocent people, many of whom had no criminal background, suddenly caught in the bombing.

Silame LGA Chairman, Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, expressed his concern, noting that while the assessment of damage was still ongoing, the villagers were primarily peaceful and uninvolved in criminal activity. He refrained from giving specific casualty figures, citing the ongoing efforts to assess the full scale of the damage.

In response to media reports of civilian casualties, the Nigerian military has firmly denied targeting non-combatants. Abubakar Abdullahi, the joint media coordinator for Operation Hadarin Daji, stated that the airstrikes were aimed specifically at identified locations linked to the Lakurawa terrorist group, which has been terrorizing local communities. Abdullahi emphasized that all military operations are based on “thorough intelligence and reconnaissance missions” to ensure precision and avoid civilian harm.

He further explained that the military follows a rigorous process to minimize risks to innocent lives, but acknowledged that terrorist groups may attempt to exploit such incidents through disinformation. Olusola Akinboyewa, spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, confirmed the airstrikes were carried out based on credible intelligence from multiple sources, including aerial surveillance. However, he stated that any reports of civilian harm would be thoroughly investigated, and updates would be provided accordingly.

The conflicting accounts of the airstrike have raised concerns, with locals mourning the loss of life, while the military defends its actions as part of the broader fight against terrorism and banditry in the region.