Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the military airstrike in Sokoto State that erroneously killed innocent citizens, instead of terrorists, as a gross violation of humanity.
The military warplane reportedly targeting the Lakurawa insurgents had hit a community in Silame Local Council of Sokoto State, killing over 10 innocent citizens and wounding others.
In a statement, yesterday, Atiku urged the authorities to learn from the past and avoid recurrence.
He said, “The devastating airstrike that claimed the lives of nearly a dozen innocent civilians and left many others wounded in the peaceful Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities 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?”
According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential elections, 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 neighbours – 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,” he added.
While calling for a stop to “this tragic cycle of death”, he said, “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, he said, “My heart goes out to you. May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace. Amin.”
