- Safiu Kehinde
Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Nigerian Air Force airstrike on Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Sokoto state while warning the Armed Force of planting seeds of further division and anger in the region.
Atiku gave the warning while reacting to the tragic incident in post on his official X handle on Thursday.
According to reports, the incident, which occurred around 7am on Wednesday at the two communities located in Silame Local Government Area (LGA), claimed the lives of 10 civilians and left many others injured.
Condemning the devastating airstrike, Atiku questioned the Nigerian Air Force if they ever learnt from similar airstrike on Tudun Biri community of Kaduna state on the 3rd of December 2023.
He held that airstrikes targeted at terrorists, which he described as a legitimate goal, must be carried out with unmatched precision and based on irrefutable intelligence as indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians is unjustifiable.
The 2023 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate charged he Nigerian Air Force to learn from the past in ensuring that no more families have to mourn the loss of loved ones to senseless violence.
The statement read in part; “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.
“But this tragedy begs the question: What have we truly learnt from the heart-wrenching losses of the past? On December 3, 2023, tens of innocent lives were lost in a brutal airstrike on a religious gathering at Tudun Biri, near Kaduna. How many more lives must be lost before we take action?
“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.
“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 them and those who 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. Amin.”