The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has compensated victims and their families for the inadvertent airstrike that occurred on December 25, 2024, in Sokoto State.
The casualties are from the state’s Silame Local Government Area, specifically Gidan Bisa and Rumtuwa villages.
This was said on Sunday in Abuja by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force.
In his remarks, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, represented by the Chief of Civil Military Relations, AVM Edward Gabkwet, thanked the state government for building a strong bond between the NAF and the people.
He praised Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s inclusive development programs and security actions under the 9-Point Smart Agenda, particularly the formation of the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps.
The CAS observed that the governor’s proactive and localized security measures have supplemented federal efforts to combat terrorist and bandit operations, leading to increased safety throughout the state and emphasizing the necessity of solid civil-military collaboration.
He added that the bombing was carried out as part of Operation Fasan Yamma in response to intelligence inputs of suspected armed terrorists passing through the impacted neighborhoods.
According to him, despite several intelligence checks informing the mission, a petition submitted in April 2025 claimed civilian casualties.
“A thorough fact-finding investigation confirmed that 13 civilians were unintentionally killed and eight others sustained various degrees of injuries.
“The findings deeply saddened the Service and necessitated urgent steps to make amends,” he said.
Aneke stressed that since assuming office on October 24, civilian harm mitigation has remained at the forefront of his command philosophy.
According to him, the NAF exists primarily to safeguard Nigerians’ lives and property, and no professional military intentionally damages the people it is sworn to defend.
He explained that the compensation exercise was intended to sympathize with the victims, promote accountability and openness, decrease tensions, and offer closure, all while allowing the service to learn vital lessons to reduce the chance of similar tragedies in the future.
The CAS stated that the NAF has continued to institutionalize procedures to prevent and respond to civilian harm, including the creation of the NAF Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan.
According to him, the framework is intended to improve operational planning, evaluations, and investigations; promote continuous learning; and assure effective reaction whenever civilian harm happens.
He went on to say that the plan’s scalability makes it suitable for both kinetic and non-kinetic operations, with civilian environment protection and restoration viewed as a vital operational priority.
The air chief emphasized the NAF’s determination to use intentional and precise lethality in combating terrorists and other criminal elements.
“We want to use this medium to appeal to citizens to desist from mingling or cohabiting with terrorists and bandits within their enclaves, as such associations significantly increase the risk of collateral damage during military operations.
“Public cooperation remains vital to safeguarding innocent lives as security forces intensify operations nationwide.
“The Nigerian Air Force, in concert with other security agencies, remains fully committed to ending terrorism, banditry, cattle rustling, and kidnapping across Sokoto State, the wider Northwest region, and the nation at large,” he added.
The governor expressed appreciation to the NAF for its unwavering commitment to protecting and caring for citizens, as well as its resolute role in safeguarding the nation’s security and territorial integrity.
