...Calls for Independent Probe By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna A Northern good governance advocacy group, the Northern Star Youth Empowermen...
...Calls for Independent Probe
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A Northern good governance advocacy group, the Northern Star Youth Empowerment Initiative (NSYEI), has condemned the recent airstrike conducted by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Tungar Kara village, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The strike reportedly killed members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes, and residents.
The tragic incident, which occurred on Saturday during a raid on bandits, resulted in the accidental deaths of at least 20 people. Several others sustained serious injuries, many of whom were left without immediate medical assistance.
In a statement issued to journalists in Kaduna, the Director-General of the group, Dr. Abdullahi Idris, described the incident as one too many, accusing the Nigerian Air Force of creating a reputation for killing innocent civilians instead of targeting the marauding bandits.
Dr. Idris recalled a similar incident in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State just last month, where scores of civilians were reportedly killed in similar circumstances.
"This is in addition to the killing of civilians in Kaduna State last year and several such incidents during counterterrorism operations in the North-East," he lamented.
He further noted that following the Sokoto incident, the NSYEI called for an independent probe to establish the root causes, hold those responsible accountable, compensate the victims, and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
"Unfortunately, our calls for an independent probe were ignored by the military authorities, and now this tragic incident has repeated itself," Dr. Idris observed.
The Director-General warned that unless the military adopts greater transparency and accountability in its counterinsurgency operations, innocent lives will continue to be lost unnecessarily.
"We, therefore, once again condemn the unprofessional conduct of the Air Force that led to this most recent senseless killing of civilians in Zamfara State.
"This must not be swept under the carpet like similar incidents in the past.
"For the avoidance of doubt, we unequivocally call for an independent probe to identify those responsible, hold them accountable, compensate the victims, and overhaul the conduct of counterinsurgency operations, particularly those involving the Nigerian Air Force," Dr. Idris concluded.
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