At least six children have been allegedly killed by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) air strike in Kuregba community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to Daily Trust, the air component of the Joint Security Operatives mistakenly struck the community on Wednesday morning, April 20, while trying to bombard the hideouts of terrorists in part of the local government.
The spokesman of Coalition of Shiroro Associations, Salis Mohammed Sabo, said the incident happened when the children were fetching water from a motorised borehole within the Kurebe community.
In a statement released, Sabo said a father lost two of his daughters and two granddaughters to the strike, adding that the community where the air strike took place was not the hideout of the bandits. The statement read;
“Six children were bombed to pieces by explosion from fighter jet belonging to Nigerian Air Force in Kurebe, Shiroro Local Government of Niger State. The incident happened on Wednesday the 20th of April, 2022, in the morning when the children were coming back to fetch water from a motorized borehole within Kurebe community.”
“A man who lost two of his daughters and two grand daughters in the incident said; there was no single bandit within the village at the time the aircraft bombarded the innocent children. He added that the terrorists camps are well known. He said the terrorists around the community are of two groups, with two different camps. One links up with the community through Unguwan Zomo, the other through Kwantan Yashi area. Therefore, they do not understand why fighter jet would be targeting the community where civilians live.
“The person whose house was destroyed narrated their ordeal. He maintained that they are living a life of denial, they are at the mercy of the terrorists as the terrorists come into the community at will, loot their property, raped their daughters, wives and even their mothers. They forced then to live in the village as anyone who attempts to leave will incur the wrath of the terrorists. He added that there was no presence of any security personnel in the area
“The two other children who lost their lives in the incidents have for long lost their parents. One of them is a daughter to late Malam Isah Kurebe and the other is a daughter to late Malam Adamu Kurebe, who was killed by the terrorists two years ago. The innocent child he left over, has now been taken away by similar fate. This is the second time this type of incident is happening.
“While we continue to vent, spleen, raise dust and even bring down the roof when occasion calls for that, to get the Government do what it has sworn to do. However, the continued pampering of these nefarious vermin who inflict terror straight from gutter will leave us with so much to be inferred.
Salis M Sabo Esq
The Spokesperson
Coalition of Shiroro Association