Tragedy struck Kakindawa village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Saturday when an airstrike reportedly killed several people, including members of a local vigilante group.
According to The PUNCH, a resident Kakindawa village Garba Umar, said the vigilantes were heading to Tungar Kara village to help neighbors under attack by bandits when the incident occurred.
“We received reports of bandits rustling livestock and attempting to abduct villagers. The vigilantes mobilized to assist, but an aircraft appeared around 3:30 pm and dropped a bomb on them. The bandits had already fled into the forest,” Umar recounted.
He alleged that 16 people, including his son, were killed in the strike. “It’s heartbreaking. We were trying to protect our community, but the aircraft targeted the wrong people,” Umar lamented.
Responding to the incident, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, spokesperson for Operation Fansan Yamma, stated that the matter would be investigated.
“I will look into what actually happened and provide further details,” Abdullahi told journalists on Sunday. However, no further information was available at the time of filing this report.
The Nigerian Air Force has been conducting operations against banditry in Zamfara State. In November 2024, it announced the successful elimination of several bandits, including key associates of notorious leaders Dan-Isuhu and Dogo Sule.
Additionally, just four days before this incident, troops from Operation Fansan Yamma reportedly killed a notorious terrorist leader, Sani Rusu, along with his fighters during a gunfight in Bamamu village, Tsafe Local Government Area.
