Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has clarified the circumstances surrounding the death of 10 villagers in Sokoto State on Christmas Day.
According to Maj-Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, the fatalities resulted from a secondary explosion triggered by the destruction of a terrorist logistics base, not from direct airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force.
The airstrike, which targeted Lakurawa terrorist hideouts at Gidan Bisa and Gidan Runtuwa in Silame Local Government Area, was a precision-guided operation.
The military had conducted extensive intelligence gathering and surveillance to confirm the presence of terrorists in the area.
Maj-Gen. Buba emphasized that the military takes painstaking measures to avoid civilian casualties, viewing any harm to non-combatants as a “needless tragedy.”
The operation was part of the military’s efforts to defend citizens from terrorists and dislodge their strongholds across the nation.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria has a duty to defend citizens from terrorists either through peaceful means, or the force of arms. It is in discharge of this responsibility that on 25 Dec 2024, a coordinated joint operation was conducted between the Air Component and the Land Component of Operation Fansan Yamma to destroy Lakurawas Terrorists Group (LTG) hideouts at Gidan Bisa and Gidan Runtuwa in Jirikon Forest in Silame LGA of Sokoto State.
“Prior to the operation, there was heightened terrorists activities in the area. The military conducted sustained Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions for over extended periods to painstakingly confirm that those hibernating in the area were Lakurawa terrorist.
“Significantly, the operation was rescheduled from an earlier date to 25 Dec 24 in order to allow for further confirmation using Human Intelligence. The joint operation was planned such that, the Air Component’s precision strike capability was complimented by the Land Component’s boots on the ground.
“Pre-operation ISR missions confirmed significant terrorist activity within the general area. HUMINT reports equally corroborated the ISR findings, emphasizing the strategic importance of neutralizing the location.
“Subsequently, aircrafts conducted a precision airstrike on the identified hideouts at about 0600hrs. “The strike was executed with precision-guided munitions to minimize collateral damage. The Land Component deployed at blocking positions around the target location to prevent the escape of Lakurawas terrorist,” he said.
