Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the airstrike in Sokoto State on Wednesday that resulted in the deaths of approximately ten people.
The Sokoto State government reported that the military airstrike killed innocent villagers, while the military maintained that the operation was aimed at members of the Lakurawa terrorist group.
Reacting to the incident in a post on his X handle on Thursday, Atiku said “The devastating airstrike that claimed the lives of nearly a dozen innocent civilians and left many others wounded in the peaceful communities of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa in Sokoto State is an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms.”
Atiku wondered if any lesson was learnt from the Tudun Biri airstrike that killed over 80 civilians in December last year.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of targeting terrorists, the former Vice President said that “these strikes must be carried out with unmatched precision and based on irrefutable intelligence.”
The statement further read, “The indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens — our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors— can never be justified. It is not only a failure but a gross violation of humanity itself. When those who are meant to be our partners in the fight against terrorism are instead treated as targets, we are sowing the seeds of further division and anger.
“We cannot expect them to see a difference between those who protect and harm them when they are caught in the crossfire. We must stop this tragic cycle of death.
“The only way forward is to learn from the past, to make sure that every life is valued, and to ensure no more families have to mourn the loss of loved ones to senseless violence. To the grieving families and the people of Sokoto, my heart goes out to you. May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace.”
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has visited the two communities that were bombed by the military fighter jets and donated ₦20 million to support the families of those affected by the incident.
