The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has handed over compensation to victims and families affected by the accidental air strike which occurred in Sokoto State on 25 December 2024.

NAF disclosed this on Sunday through a post it shared on its official X account, while reaffirming its commitment to the protection of civilians and fight against terrorists and bandits across Nigeria.

The formal handover ceremony took place with military officials, local leaders signing agreements, a large community assembly under tents, amid speeches by prominent personalities like the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto.

The Air Force’s delivery of cash and relief materials to families impacted by the airstrike in Sokoto State is coming almost a year after the sad incident.

It should be recalled that the airstrike mistakenly killed 10 civilians while targeting bandits, with the incident prompting a probe by the Sokoto State Government.

This compensation follows a pattern of civilian casualties in NAF operations against northwest bandits and terrorists.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch noted that no fewer than three similar erroneous strikes occurred in late 2024 to early 2025 across Sokoto, Zamfara, and Borno States, raising concerns over targeting accuracy.

Reacting to the Sokoto incident last year, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the military airstrike that erroneously killed innocent citizens, instead of terrorists, as a gross violation of humanity.

The military warplane reportedly targeting the Lakurawa insurgents had hit a community in Silame Local Council of Sokoto State, killing over 10 innocent citizens and wounding others.

In a statement back then, Atiku urged the authorities to learn from the past and avoid recurrence.

He said, “The devastating airstrike that claimed the lives of nearly a dozen innocent civilians and left many others wounded in the peaceful Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Sokoto State is an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms.

“But this tragedy begs the question: What have we truly learnt from the heart-wrenching losses of the past? On December 3, 2023, tens of innocent lives were lost in a brutal airstrike on a religious gathering at Tudun Biri, near Kaduna. How many more lives must be lost before we take action?”

According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential elections, while targeting terrorists is a legitimate goal, these strikes must be carried out with unmatched precision and based on irrefutable intelligence.

“The indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens – our brothers, our sisters, our neighbours – can never be justified. It is not only a failure but a gross violation of humanity itself.

“When those who are meant to be our partners in the fight against terrorism are instead treated as targets, we are sowing the seeds of further division and anger. We cannot expect them to see a difference between those who protect them and those who harm them when they are caught in the crossfire,” he added.

While calling for a stop to “this tragic cycle of death”, he said, “The only way forward is to learn from the past, to make sure that every life is valued, and to ensure no more families have to mourn the loss of loved ones to senseless violence.”