The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched an investigation into the alleged bombing of vigilantes while targeting bandits at Tungar Kara in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The investigation is meant to ascertain the veracity of the allegation, “the outcome of which will be duly communicated to inform and reassure the public”.
NAF spokesman, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, who announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja, explained that a fact-finding team, led by the Director of Coordination and Cooperation (DCC) in the Civil-Military Relations Branch at the NAF headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Edward K. Gabkwet, had been deployed to the state.
He said the team would liaise and interface with state and local government officials, as well as other stakeholders “for a holistic assessment of the situation with a view to driving the appropriate response”.
The Nation reports that airstrikes by the NAF jets on Saturday hit members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes and residents, leaving at least 16 people dead.
The statement said: “The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), in the recent airstrikes at Tungar Kara in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, dealt a decisive blow to bandits terrorising villages in the area.
“However, while the operation successfully eliminated several bandits and led to the recovery of some kidnap victims, the NAF views with grave concern reports of the loss of civilian lives in the course of the operation.”
