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The Federal Government has pledged to carry out a thorough investigation into the airstrike that resulted in the deaths of 10 people in Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa villages in the Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
This commitment was made by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, during a condolence visit to Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, in the state capital on Friday.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the governor’s spokesperson, Abubakar Bawa, Matawalle assured that justice would be served and reiterated the Federal Government’s dedication to ensuring the safety of all Nigerians, wherever they reside.
Matawalle expressed sorrow over the actions of terrorists, which he said were destabilizing the peace in Nigeria, but assured that the Federal Government would respond decisively. He commended Governor Aliyu for his proactive approach to tackling banditry and other criminal activities in Sokoto State, noting that Aliyu is the only governor who has formally requested a military base in his state, with full military support promised to improve safety.
“We will continue to provide all the necessary resources and equipment to Sokoto State,” Matawalle affirmed.
He further stated, “President Bola Tinubu is deeply concerned about this tragic event and instructed me to personally express his condolences.”
Matawalle explained that the airstrike occurred due to incorrect information provided to the military during the operation, though security reports confirmed that the area affected was under the control of Lakurawa bandits.
In response, Governor Aliyu urged the military to enhance its intelligence gathering and surveillance efforts to prevent future errors in targeting. He also expressed gratitude to the military and other security agencies for their ongoing efforts to secure the state and thanked President Tinubu for his concern over the incident.
Aliyu reflected on the inevitability of such an incident and prayed to Allah to prevent similar occurrences in the future. He also expressed condolences to the families affected and reassured that a detailed investigation would be carried out to uncover the full details of the tragedy.