The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the airstrike that resulted in the deaths of 10 people in Sokoto State.
The strike, which occurred in Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa villages of Silame Local Government Area, has sparked widespread concern.
The commitment was made during a condolence visit to Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, in Sokoto.
The visit was reported by Mr. Abubakar Bawa, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, in a statement issued on Saturday.
Matawalle assured that justice would be pursued and reiterated the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of all Nigerians, wherever they are.
He expressed regret over the growing threat posed by terrorists in the country but emphasized that the government would confront these criminal elements decisively.
He praised Governor Aliyu for his dedicated efforts in combating banditry and other criminal activities, noting that Aliyu is the only governor who has actively requested a military base within his state.
Matawalle reaffirmed that the military would continue to support Sokoto State in its fight for security, with ongoing provisions of necessary equipment and resources.
Matawalle also conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s concern regarding the incident, stating, “Mr. President is deeply troubled by the unfortunate event and has sent me to express his condolences.”
The minister explained that the error in the airstrike was due to inaccurate information available to the military at the time of the operation.
However, he clarified that intelligence reports confirmed the area was predominantly controlled by the Lakurawa bandits.
In his response, Governor Aliyu urged the military to enhance its intelligence gathering and surveillance efforts to prevent such misidentifications in the future.
He thanked the military and security agencies for their continuous efforts to ensure the safety of Sokoto State and expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his concern over the incident.
While expressing his sorrow over the tragedy, Governor Aliyu referred to the event as an unfortunate, yet inevitable occurrence.
He prayed to Allah to prevent similar incidents in the future and assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine the exact circumstances of the airstrike.
(NAN)
