The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has compensated the victims and families affected by the accidental air strike that struck Gidan Bisa and Rumtuwa villages in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State on 25 December 2024,.
The compassion showed its commitment to civilians’ protection and accountability.
Delivering the message of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke represented by the Chief of Civil Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, expressed gratitude to the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, for the warm reception and the enduring relationship between the Nigerian Air Force and the Government and people of Sokoto State.
Speaking on behalf of the CAS, Air Vice Marshal Gabkwet commended Governor Aliyu’s inclusive development policies and security initiatives under the 9-Point Smart Agenda, particularly the establishment of the Sokoto State Community Guards Corps.
He noted that “the Governor’s proactive and localised security measures have complemented Nigerian efforts in curbing the activities of terrorists and bandits, contributing to improved safety across parts of the State and reinforcing the importance of strong civil military cooperation.”
Recounting the circumstances of the incident, the CAS explained that “the air strikes were conducted under Operation Fasan Yamma following intelligence reports of suspected armed terrorists transiting through the affected communities.”
Although multiple intelligence checks informed the mission, a petition received in April 2025 alleged civilian casualties.
“A thorough fact-finding investigation confirmed that 13 civilians were unintentionally killed and eight others sustained various degrees of injuries,” the CAS stated, stressing that the findings deeply saddened the Service and necessitated urgent steps to make amends.
Air Marshal Aneke emphasised that since assuming office on 24 October 2025, Civilian Harm Mitigation has remained at the forefront of his Command Philosophy.
“The Nigerian Air Force exists primarily to protect the lives and property of Nigerians. No professional military deliberately harms the very people it is sworn to defend,” he stated.
Air Marshal Aneke explained that ”the compensation exercise was intended to commiserate with the victims, promote accountability and transparency, calm tensions, and bring closure, while enabling the Service to draw critical lessons to further reduce the likelihood of similar incidents in the future.”
The CAS further disclosed that the NAF has continued to institutionalise measures aimed at preventing and responding to civilian harm, including the development of the NAF Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (NAF CHMR-AP).
According to him, the framework is designed to strengthen operational planning, improve assessments and investigations, enhance continuous learning, and ensure effective response whenever civilian harm occurs.
He added that the plan’s scalability makes it applicable across both kinetic and non-kinetic operations, with the protection and restoration of the civilian environment treated as a critical operational consideration.
While reaffirming the NAF’s resolve to apply purposeful and precise lethality in neutralising terrorists and other criminal elements, the NAF boss appealed to citizens to desist from mingling or cohabiting with terrorists and bandits within their enclaves, saying such associations significantly increase the risk of collateral damage during military operations.
Public cooperation remains vital to safeguarding innocent lives as security forces intensify operations nationwide.
The Nigerian Air Force, in concert with other security agencies, remains fully committed to ending terrorism, banditry, cattle rustling, and kidnapping across Sokoto State, the wider North-West region and the nation at large.
In his response, Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto expressed deep appreciation to the Nigerian Air Force for its unwavering commitment to protecting and caring for citizens, as well as its resolute role in safeguarding the nation’s security and territorial integrity.
Lateefah Ibrahim