AN ALLEGED airstrike in Kakindawa village, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, has reportedly left several people dead.
According to PUNCH, the incident occurred on Saturday evening when local vigilantes mobilised to counter bandits attacking nearby Tungar Kara village.
Garba Umar, a resident of Kakindawa, recounted how the vigilantes responded to reports of bandits rustling livestock and attempting to abduct villagers.
“As we were heading to Tungar Kara around 3:30 pm, an aircraft suddenly appeared and dropped a bomb on the vigilantes. The bandits had already escaped into the forest,” Umar explained.
At least 16 people, including Umar’s son, are believed to have died in the strike.
“We mobilised to protect our neighbours, but tragically, the aircraft targeted us instead of the fleeing bandits. It’s heartbreaking,” he lamented.
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The spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, confirmed the airstrike and assured that an investigation would be conducted.
The most recent incident occurred in December, according to The Explainer.
The airstrikes aimed at the Lakurawa terrorist group mistakenly targeted civilians in the Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities of Sokoto State, killing over 10 villagers and injuring several others.
The Explainer has reported the worrying trend of civilian casualties resulting from airstrikes and drone attacks in Nigeria, revealing that 6,660 civilians were killed in such operations between 2020 and 2024.
