The military strike on communities in Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria, on Christmas Day, resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property.
Hauwa’u, a young girl, witnessed the devastating moment when her parents and three younger siblings were burned to death in the airstrike by the Nigerian military.
“I see them burning, my mother, my father, and my three younger siblings,” BBC Pidgin quoted her to have said.
According to eyewitnesses, the airstrike, which occurred around 7 am, targeted the villages of Rumtuwa and Gidan Sama in Silame local government.
The attack reportedly killed 10 people, injured six others, and destroyed numerous homes and livestock.
Residents reported that soldiers had surrounded the communities before the airstrike, and later, three aircraft dropped bombs on the area.
One eyewitness, Malam Muhammad, stated that the soldiers prevented people from nearby villages from accessing the affected areas.
Muhammad, who lives near the village where the incident occurred, said “later three aircraft believed to belong to the military came dropping bombs on the place”.
“The soldiers surrounded the communities between 6 a.m and 7 a.m, and shortly after three aircraft began to drop bomb on the residents.”
He added, “It was later when things started to calm down that we approached the communities to see for ourselves what happened but regrettably, military wouldn’t let us go close.”
Another villager Usman Manuga said the incident happened after the Asr prayers.
“After we prayed, we came out. I wanted to go and greet my parents. I heard the people saying, ‘Look, look, look,’ and I came out and saw them with my own eyes.”
“I was there when one of them (the bombs) hit us.”
The Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, attended the burial of the victims and attributed the airstrike to a mistake by the military.