In his usual practice, former vice president has reacted to the bombing of some communities in Sokoto State. Alhaji Abubakar Atiku lamented the killing of ten persons in Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa jn Sokoto State and he condemned the attack in the strongest terms.
The Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa has emphatically said that the military didn’t make any mistake in the bombing. The chief said that the civilians harbour the terrorists in their homes. The military were pursuing the Lakurawa bandits when the bombs dropped on the people.
The military understands better and every Nigerian should support the efforts of the security personnel towards securing all citizens of the country. It’s wrong for the residents of the communities to keep the terrorists in their domain. But at the same time, the genuine concerns of the former vice president can’t just be disregarded or discarded on the surface level.
Accidental or intentional bombing of civilians is not something to be tolerated. The Amnesty International has already stated this. The former vice president recollected what happens in Tudub Biri in Kaduna State on 3 December, 2023. A year ago.
Tens of people lost their lives when the military dropped bombs on the communities. It is not yet clear if that particular incident was deliberate or inadvertent.
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.
The former vice president Alhaji Abubakar Atiku said, *While targeting terrorists is a legitimate goal, these strikes must be carried out with unmatched precision and based on irrefutable intelligence. 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.”
It seems to have become a pattern and that is why it has become really worrisome. As Atiku said correctly, how many more lives would be lost before actions would be taken? That is what the military should understand. Most definitely, the innocent civilians would be among the victims. They lost their lives and means of livelihood.
The PDP presidential candidate added, “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.”
There should be a thorough investigation just as the military chief promised to. The investigation might reveal the error in the judgment of the military or expose how the people of the affected areas are aiding and abetting terrorism. Likewise, the issues raised by Atiku Abubakar in the statement he made should be looked into immediately.
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