The Jika da Kolo community in Yadin Kidandan, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, is mourning the loss of over 25 people, reportedly killed in a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike aimed at combating terrorists. The incident, which occurred over the weekend, has ignited tension between local villagers and the military.
Local sources claim that 23 worshippers in a mosque and several others at a nearby market were killed during the airstrike. However, the NAF maintains that the operation targeted a known terrorist enclave in the Yadi Forest area and denies the presence of civilian structures, such as mosques, within the strike zone.
The Air Force stated that the airstrike successfully eliminated terrorists and destroyed a logistics base used by bandits, but villagers insist that innocent civilians were among the victims. Abdullahi Ismail, a local councillor, confirmed the incident, acknowledging the presence of bandits in the area but noting that many innocent residents were also caught in the attack.
Witnesses from the community describe a scene of devastation, with 23 mutilated bodies recovered and buried according to Islamic rites. One survivor recounted hearing a loud explosion near the mosque and local market around 2 p.m., resulting in widespread casualties, including farmers and children.
Villagers have called on the Federal and Kaduna State governments to investigate the airstrike, urging the authorities to ensure such incidents do not happen again.
In response to the allegations, NAF’s Deputy Director of Public Relations, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, asserted that the airstrike targeted a terrorist logistics base. He emphasized that intelligence and surveillance confirmed the presence of terrorists in the area, adding that no mosque existed in the targeted zone.
The NAF reiterated its commitment to eliminating terrorist activities in the North-West and North-Central regions and vowed to continue its operations to dismantle bandit networks.
