Residents of the Jika da Kolo community in Giwa County of Kaduna State, have alleged that an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) mistakenly hit their village, killing more than 25 people. The tragic incident reportedly happened during the weekend during an anti-terrorism operation in the region.
Local sources claim that 23 worshippers were killed in a mosque, while others at a nearby market also lost their lives. One survivor, speaking anonymously, said, “The strike disfigured the bodies of most of those affected. We gathered body parts of 23 people who were identified by relatives, including children, and they have been buried.”
However, the Nigerian Air Force has denied the villagers’ claims, stating that the airstrike targeted a known terrorist logistics base in the Yadi Forest. NAF spokesperson, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, said, “The target area initially appeared uninhabited… Reports from independent sources confirmed that the logistics base was totally destroyed and scores of terrorists were killed.”
The affected villagers are calling on both the federal and Kaduna State governments to investigate the incident, insisting that many innocent people were killed. The NAF maintains that its operation was based on credible intelligence and aimed at eliminating terrorist threats in the area.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
