A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet targeting terrorists have allegedly killed six children in Niger state, and destroyed some properties.
The incident was said to have taken place in the Kuregba community of Shiroro Local Government Area of the state on April 13, when the children were returning home from where they had gone to fetch water.
A community leader and chairperson of the Coalition of Shiroro Associations, Salis Sambo, who announced the incident in a statement on Wednesday said six children were accidentally bombed to pieces by an explosion from the fighter jet.
“A man lost two of his daughters and two grand daughters in the incident. There was no single bandit within the village at the time the aircraft bombarded the innocent children,” he said.
He added that the terrorists camps are well known. He said the terrorists around the community are of two groups, with two different camps. One links up with the community through Unguwan Zomo, the other through Kwantan Yashi area. Therefore, they do not understand why fighter jet would be targeting the community where civilians live,” the statement read.
“The person whose house was destroyed narrated their ordeal. He maintained that they are living a life of denial, they are at the mercy of the terrorists as the terrorists come into the community at will, loot their property, raped their daughters, wives and even their mothers. They forced then to live in the village as anyone who attempts to leave will incur the wrath of the terrorists. He added that there was no presence of any security personnel in the area. The two other children who lost their lives in the incidents have for long lost their parents,” it added.
According to the statement, this is the second time this type of incident is happening.
It would also be recalled that in September 2021, a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet killed eight people in Yunusari LGA of Yobe State, and injured several others.
But, the Niger state government have denied the incident . A statement on Thursday signed by Emmmanuel Umar, commisioner for local government and internal affairs read in part, “The attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to a report making the rounds on social media and other media platforms suggesting that some civilians were killed at Kurebe in Shiroro Local Government Area as a result of the ongoing Air and ground operations by the military and other security agencies in the state.
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“To the best of the knowledge of the state government, there are no civilians residence in these areas for sometimes now due to the infiltrations and activities of the terrorists which forced the locals to seek shelter as IDPs in other parts of the state.”
Ibrahim Matane who was quoted by some media houses as confirming the incident denied ever speaking to any newspaper in a statement he issued this evening.
But the Nigeria Airforce is yet to issued any statement on the matter.
