This is reported by Reuters.
The governor of the state, Ahmed Aliyu, stated that the aircraft were conducting operations to eliminate armed groups terrorizing the nation. However, they mistakenly targeted innocent residents from the villages of Gidan Sama and Rintuwa.
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The military reported that they struck targets associated with the group “Lakurawas”, but did not provide any information regarding civilian casualties.
According to BBC, at the time of the funeral for the 10 deceased, the Nigerian army “did not say a word.” Additionally, no military personnel attended the burials, as has happened in previous instances.
Reports indicate that this is the 9th occurrence where the Nigerian army has conducted a “false” attack. The last such incident took place on the night of December 3, 2023, when a Nigerian army drone attacked a celebration in Kaduna state twice. The military claimed they mistook it for a gathering of terrorists. This assault resulted in the deaths of at least 88 civilians.
Aliyu promised to collaborate with other authorities to investigate this operation. He also announced that he provided the affected families with approximately 100 bags of food and around 20 million naira (about 13 thousand dollars) in cash.
It is noteworthy that in November, the Nigerian military warned about the rebel group “Lakurawas,” which had infiltrated the northwestern region of the country from neighboring Niger and Mali. According to media reports, the “Lakurawas” militants have established positions in two states. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of Nigeria are combating the “Boko Haram” terrorists in the northeast, armed groups in the southeast, and insurgents in the north-central region.