By Abiola Olawale
General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, has firmly asserted that the military airstrikes conducted on Wednesday aimed at the members of the Lakurawa terrorist group in Sokoto were carried out without error.
He emphasized there was no mistake and that the troops carried out a precise operation.
It would be recalled that a fighter jet bombed two communities in the Silame Local Government Area of the state, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others.
The Sokoto State Government had claimed that 10 people who lost their lives in the strikes were “innocent villagers.”
However, Musa, who spoke with the press on Thursday, said that those killed were criminals.
He, however, said that investigation would be launched into the matter.
He stated: “We have individuals that still harbour those people and once you do that, you make yourself a target. Our appeal is, please do not allow them to hang around you, do not give them any support in whatever means.”
“The incident that happened yesterday is an operation we conducted. We followed up and ensured we avoided mistakes as much as possible. If there were other mistakes that came up, we will investigate.
“From what we have seen, there were criminals in that place. Anybody that toyed with them was part of them.
“We want to appeal to the media, always understand that those guys want to use the media to send their message across. That is what it is dangerous not to agree to what they are saying.”
Musa also emphasized that despite the ongoing controversy regarding the airstrikes, the military remains steadfast in its commitment to continue operations aimed at combating criminal elements.
He reassured that they would persist in their efforts without compromising the safety of civilians, prioritizing the protection of innocent lives while executing their mission.
