NAF Plane ‘Kills’ 23 Worshippers, Others In Kaduna

The Jika da Kolo community in Yadin Kidandan, located in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has suffered a tragic loss, alleging that over 25 people were killed by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike intended to combat terrorists.

The incident reportedly occurred over the weekend, sparking significant controversy between the villagers and the military.

Local reports indicate that the victims included 23 worshippers in a mosque and several individuals at a nearby market, who were allegedly killed during the operation.

This claim is in direct conflict with the statements from the NAF, which insists that the operation was executed based on reliable intelligence about a terrorist enclave in the Yadi Forest area, supposedly devoid of any civilian structures such as mosques.

The Air Force maintains that the strike successfully eliminated a number of terrorists, contradicting the community’s reports of civilian casualties.

They firmly denied the presence of a mosque within the targeted zone, underscoring their commitment to preventing collateral damage.

Abdullahi Ismail, a councillor representing the area, acknowledged the incident and highlighted the region as a known danger zone due to frequent terrorist activities.

He said, “The strike disfigured the bodies of most of those affected. 23 mutilated bodies were gathered from the scene and had been buried according to Islamic rites. We gathered body parts of 23 people who were identified by relatives, including children and they have been buried.

“Of course, Yadin Kidandan is a danger zone because it is under the control of bandits. But there are also innocent villagers who still live around there because they have no other place to go just like the casualties that we witnessed on Friday. So, we discovered that when the strike occurred, most of the people at the mosque died.”

A survivor who craved anonymity while speaking with Tribune Newspaper disclosed, “It was a crowded place because there was a local market close to the mosque which was also affected. The incident happened around 2pm.

“Yes; it is true that there was a strike by a plane on Friday at a mosque in Jika da Kolo village that claimed many lives, including a few from our village who went to their farms or to do business at the local market close to the mosque. Many people were killed, among them farmers and children who had gathered around the mosque.

“We heard when the plane arrived; it dropped something and a moment later, we heard a loud sound because I was in a nearby village.”

“Thereafter, family members of the victims went to the scene and recognized their relatives for the funeral. With little investigation, those who threw the bomb should have established that the bandits don’t live within the villages; they are in the bushes. It is a difficult moment for us,” another local identified as Malam has said.

The villagers, therefore, called on the Federal and Kaduna State governments to investigate this incident, saying most of them were still living around the areas because they didn’t have any other place to go.

While reacting to the claim of the villagers, the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, said the airstrikes were only rained on the logistics base of terrorists.

He said there was no mosque in the area, based on pictorial evidence of how the location was before and after the operation as the operation was carried out following credible intelligence indicating a huge presence of terrorists and their weapons cache in the Yadi Forest.

According to him, reports from independent sources, including local informants around the general area, confirmed that the logistics base was totally destroyed and scores of terrorists were killed as a result of the attack.

He said, “Intensive intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance confirmed the consistent presence of terrorists and their motorcycles at the location. Additional intelligence revealed that the logistics base belonged to the notorious terrorist kingpin Kadade Gurgu, a close ally of Dogo Gide.

“Furthermore, available intelligence at the disposal of the NAF Air Component revealed that Kadade Gurgu has been providing shelter for notorious terrorist kingpins following the aggressive military operations in Sokoto and Zamfara states.

“Accordingly, the Air Component dispatched an aircraft, supported by an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, to attack the target. The target area initially appeared uninhabited. However, as the aircraft approached, some of the terrorists were seen emerging from under the shrubbery and running away from the area.

“Subsequently, the targets were engaged, recording successful hits on the logistics facility, which was engulfed in flames with thick black smoke seen.Reports from independent sources, including local informants around the general area, later confirmed that the logistics base was totally destroyed and scores of terrorists were killed as a result of the attack.

“The Nigerian Air Force, in collaboration with surface forces, will continue to dominate the battlespace through extensive situational awareness, constant patrols, and targeted interdiction of bandits’ safe havens within its area of responsibility and neighbouring states The aim i to decimate and flush out terrorism and criminal activities within the North-west and North-central geopolitical zones.”