April 21, (THEWILL) – The Niger State Government has refuted reports that a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet killed six children in the state.
The Spokesperson of the Coalition of Shiroro Associations (COSA), Salis Sambo, had claimed that six children were killed in an airstrike by NAF in Kurebe, Shiroro Local Government of the State on Wednesday, 13th April, 2022, while the children were on their way back from the borehole.
Sambo, in a statement said one of the victims who lost two of his daughters and two grand daughters in the incident said there was no presence of terrorist within the village at the time the aircraft allegedly bombarded the children.
The statement had 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 13th of April, 2020, in the morning when the children were coming back to fetch water from a motorized borehole within Kurebe community,” the statement said.
“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.”
But in a swift reaction, the State Government in a statement by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, Emmanuel Umar, noted that there is currently no civilian population in the restive areas due to ongoing military operations.
Umar said the villagers in the combat areas are in internally displaced persons camp in the state.
Part of the statement read: “The attention of the Niger state government has been drawn to a report making the rounds on social media and other media platforms suggesting that some civilians were killed at Kurebe in Shiroro local government area as a result of the ongoing Air and ground operations by the military and other security agencies in the state.
“To the best of the knowledge of the state government, there are no civilians residing in these areas for some time now due to the infiltrations and activities of the terrorists which forced the locals to seek shelter as IDPs in other parts of the state.
“The Niger state government welcomes the ongoing intensified military operations in neighbouring states and in some local government areas in Niger state which include Shiroro, Munya, and other LGAs which is aimed at neutralising bandits/terrorists in these environments.
“The efforts of the joint operations have yielded a lot of success and the state is happy as many bandits/terrorists have already been eliminated in the affected LGAs.”
Similarly, the secretary to the Niger government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane has stated that the report published by Punch Newspaper and attributed to him that he confirmed NAF fighter jet killed six children in the state is false and malicious.
Matane, who debunked the report, said he never granted an interview to the Punch Newspaper or any media organisation on the matter.
He enjoined the media and the general public to desist from publishing or airing fake and unsubstantiated stories and instead verify any information before going to press.
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