Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State has announced a donation of food items and money to victims of an accidental bombing by the military at Gidan Bisa in Silame local government area of the state.
No fewer than ten people died in the military airstrike which occures while the military was on a chase of bandits in the Gidan Bisa village.
Governor Aliyu announced tye donations during a tour of the village where he engaged in an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused.
He was accompanied on the tour by the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Sen. Aliyu Magarakarda Wamakko, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi.
Together, they joined other villagers in observing funeral prayers for the deceased.
While condoling the community, Gov. Aliyu described the incident as unfortunate and an act destined to happen by the Almighty Allah.
“The military jets were on their mission to eliminate criminals armed groups terrorizing the state, and mistakenly bombed innocent people of this community.
“We consider this as a mistake because the same military had on several occasions successfully raided so many criminal hideouts in the state,” he said.
The governor further said a thorough investigation would be conducted to find out what led to the avoidable mistake, so as to guard against its recurrence.
Governor Aliyu also prayed to Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased, and give their families the strength to bear the loss.
Updating on the situation in a message he shared on his X handle, Governor Aliyu said, “It is with a heavy heart that I address you following the tragic incident in the communities of Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa in the Silame Local Government Area. This heartbreaking event, caused by an accidental misfire from the Nigerian Army, has claimed the lives of innocent citizens and left several others injured.
“As your governor, I am deeply saddened by this avoidable loss of life. On behalf of the government and the people of Sokoto State, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. We also pray for the swift recovery of those injured in this unfortunate incident.
“I want to assure you that I am in direct communication with the leadership of the Nigerian Army to ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to this tragedy. The state government will do everything within its power to support the affected families and engage with the relevant authorities to prevent such occurrences in the future.
“This is a time for us to stand united as a community. I urge all residents to remain calm and pray for peace in our state and nation. May the Almighty comfort the bereaved families and grant eternal rest to the departed souls.
“I visited the affected areas to assess the situation firsthand and have directed a donation of N20 million along with 100 bags of assorted food items to the families of the deceased. This support is intended to alleviate their suffering and cover the medical bills of those hospitalized due to their injuries from the bombardment.
“Together, we will overcome this difficult moment and work towards ensuring that such tragedies do not happen again,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the local government area, Abubakar Gitta Rana, had said the incident occurred at about 6:00am when two military fighter jets erroneously dropped bombs on the village, leaving 10 persons and many livestock dead.
