A deadly airstrike in Sokoto State on Wednesday has once again sparked controversy, and security expert Kingsley Uzoma is calling for a thorough and impartial investigation to identify who exactly lost their lives. The incident, which occurred in the Silame Local Government Area, has caused a war of words between the Sokoto State Government and the military, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of what happened. The government insists that it was a tragic mistake, while the military maintains it hit the right targets. As usual, the public is left to wonder who’s telling the truth.
According to the Sokoto State Government, a fighter jet mistakenly bombed two communities, killing 10 innocent villagers and injuring several others. “The military jets were on their mission to eliminate criminals armed groups terrorizing the state, and mistakenly bombed innocent people of this community,” said Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to the Sokoto State Governor. To add insult to injury, he added, “We consider this as a mistake because the same military had on several occasions successfully raided so many criminal hideouts in the state.” As if it’s any comfort to the victims that their deaths were an unfortunate byproduct of the military’s apparent good intentions.
On the other hand, the military is denying any mistakes. Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, the spokesman for Operation Fansan Yamma, claimed that the targets struck in the vicinity of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa were positively identified as linked to the Lakurawa group. In short, the military says the strike was justified, even as innocent lives were lost. “The targets struck… have been positively identified as associated with the Lakurawa group, reinforcing the justification for the military action taken,” Abdullahi said, offering no apologies and no remorse.
Enter Kingsley Uzoma, who’s not buying either side’s version of events. Speaking on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics, Uzoma suggested that a joint investigation is the only way to get to the bottom of the situation. According to him, “Such investigation has to be joint in the sense that you have to have a detachment of the military, the police, other auxiliary security agencies like the civil defense.” He also wants representatives from trusted civil society organizations and media houses like Channels to be involved, ensuring that no stone is left unturned. He made it clear that only a diverse and impartial team could produce an unbiased report.
Uzoma stressed that while the public should generally trust the military, this trust can only be upheld if the investigation is done transparently. “The military’s position can only be authenticated if the joint investigation is carried out the way I’ve prescribed,” Uzoma explained. However, if the investigation reveals that the military made a mistake, he said there should be compensation for the victims’ families and a promise to take greater caution in future operations.
The recent tragedy is far from an isolated incident. In December 2023, another military airstrike in Tudun Biri village in Igabi Local Government Area killed at least 85 people, drawing widespread condemnation. Despite the public outcry, the military took responsibility for the deadly strike and issued an apology, though that hardly softened the blow for the victims. So, will this time be any different?
Uzoma’s call for a joint investigation isn’t just about finding out who’s to blame it’s about ensuring that no more innocent lives are lost due to errors that could easily have been avoided. As he aptly put it, “If it is conducted in that way, I can assure you we will have an unbiased investigation report.”
