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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the December 25 accidental bombing by the Nigerian Air Force.
Naija News reports that the bombing resulted in the death of 10 people in Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama communities of Sokoto State.
Villages located near the Surame desert, a known hideout for the Lakurawa terror group suffered significant losses in the airstrike.
Speaking via a post on X, Atiku described the airstrike as “an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms”
He questioned the lessons learned from past tragedies, referencing the December 3, 2023 airstrike on a religious gathering at Tudun Biri, near Kaduna, which claimed the lives of many innocent people.
He called for an end to the “tragic cycle of death” and urged the government to learn from previous mistakes.
Atiku wrote, “The devastating airstrike that claimed the lives of nearly a dozen innocent civilians and left many others wounded in the peaceful communities of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa in Sokoto State is an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms.
“But this tragedy begs the question: What have we truly learnt from the heart-wrenching losses of the past? On December 3, 2023, tens of innocent lives were lost in a brutal airstrike on a religious gathering at Tudun Biri, near Kaduna. How many more lives must be lost before we take action?
“While targeting terrorists is a legitimate goal, these strikes must be carried out with unmatched precision and based on irrefutable intelligence. The indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens — our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors— can never be justified. It is not only a failure but a gross violation of humanity itself.
“When those who are meant to be our partners in the fight against terrorism are instead treated as targets, we are sowing the seeds of further division and anger. We cannot expect them to see a difference between those who protect them and those who harm them when they are caught in the crossfire.
“We must stop this tragic cycle of death. The only way forward is to learn from the past, to make sure that every life is valued, and to ensure no more families have to mourn the loss of loved ones to senseless violence.
“To the grieving families and the people of Sokoto, my heart goes out to you. May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace. Amin. -AA”
