Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu visited the two communities hit by military airstrikes on Wednesday that killed at least 10 people and injured several others.
Despite the difficult terrain, the governor joined residents for the funeral prayers of the deceased. He expressed deep sympathy for the affected families and announced a ₦20 million donation to support them.
Aliyu was accompanied by prominent leaders, including Senator Aliyu Wamakko, a top figure in the All Progressives Congress, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Aliyu explained that the military jets were on a mission to eliminate armed criminals terrorizing the state but mistakenly bombed innocent villagers.
“The military jets were on their mission to eliminate armed groups terrorizing the state and mistakenly bombed innocent people of this community,” Aliyu said.
He acknowledged that the military had previously succeeded in raiding criminal hideouts and described the strike as a regrettable mistake.
Governor Aliyu assured the community that the incident would be thoroughly investigated to prevent future mistakes.
“We consider this as a mistake because the same military had on several occasions successfully raided so many criminal hideouts in the state. A thorough investigation will be conducted to find out what led to this avoidable mistake,” he stated.
The governor also prayed for the souls of the deceased, asking Almighty Allah to forgive them and grant their families strength to bear the loss.
The Secretary to the State Government, Muhammad Bello Sifawa, announced additional support for the victims. He disclosed that the government had donated 100 bags of foodstuffs to the affected families and promised to cover the medical bills of those injured.
