At least 17 people were said to have been killed when a
fighter jet belonging to the Nigerian
Air Force fired a bomb on Sakotoku village in Damboa local government
area of Borno state.
Residents revealed that those killed included women,
and children who were said to be playing under mango trees.
The air force, military sources said, was informed that Boko
Haram insurgents were gathering around
the village on Thursday afternoon.
The supposed target, according to a source, was an area in
Korongilum, a neighbouring village 12 kilometres away where suspected Boko
Haram insurgents had gathered earlier.
“We don’t know if they didn’t communicate well with the land
troops as the air force jet fired that bomb on the village,” one of the sources
said.
“Seventeen people were killed, mostly women and their
children playing under mango trees. Many were also injured and have been taken
to the 25 army brigade in Damboa, and those with critical injuries were taken
to Maiduguri.”
Some of the villagers whose houses were destroyed have found
their way to Damboa.
In February, residents of Garkida, Adamawa state and
Korongilum, Borno state, had alleged that NAF fighter jets refused to open fire
on suspected Boko Haram insurgents when they attacked their communities.
Ibikunle Daramola, NAF spokesperson, had then said they could not engage the insurgents because the situation in Garkida was
chaotic, and that they took the measure so they would not hit civilians.
In 2017, 126 civilians were killed in Rann, Borno state, in
an accidental air strike by the military.
When contacted about the incident in Sakotoku,
Daramola said: “It’s a matter of operation” and the defence headquarters would
be in a better position to speak on the matter.”
Both Onyema Nwachukwu and John Enenche, defence headquarters
spokespersons, were not reachable for comment as they neither responded to
calls nor replied text messages.
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