Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has addressed the tragic military airstrike that recently claimed the lives of about 16 residents in the North-Western state, clarifying that the incident was unintentional.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, the governor explained that the strike occurred amidst efforts to combat bandits terrorizing the region.
“It was not intentional. It was in the process of fighting these bandits (that) they were struck,” Governor Lawal said, expressing his deep condolences to the families of the victims.
He further disclosed that the Chief of Air Staff had taken immediate steps, forming a committee to liaise with the state government and affected communities.
“They also went there yesterday to do on-the-spot assessment to see who was involved and what happened to guide against future occurrence,” he added.
Governor Lawal revealed he was aware of the military operation beforehand, noting that he had personally requested the Air Force’s intervention to neutralize bandits launching attacks in the area.
Despite the unfortunate incident, he expressed confidence in the military’s capability to significantly weaken banditry in the region within a month.
The governor also issued a stern warning to infamous bandit leader Bello Turji, declaring that his reign of terror would soon come to an end, just as other high-profile bandits have been neutralized.
The airstrike, which occurred on the 11th of January, 2025, in Tungar Kara community, Maradun Local Government Area, adds to a troubling history of accidental strikes in Nigeria.
Notably, a Christmas Day attack in 2024 claimed the lives of at least 10 civilians in Sokoto State, while in 2023, over 85 civilians, primarily women and children, were mistakenly killed at a religious gathering in Kaduna State.
Similarly, in 2017, an airstrike on a displaced persons’ camp near the Cameroonian border left 112 people dead, highlighting the ongoing challenges of minimizing civilian casualties in military operations.