Gov Lawal opens up on military airstrike that killed civilians
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has confirmed his awareness of the military airstrike in Tungar Kara, Maradun Local Government Area, which resulted in the tragic death of 16 residents, including vigilantes.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Governor Lawal explained that he had requested military intervention following an attack by bandits in the area.
While acknowledging the unintended consequences of the airstrike, he expressed his continued support for military efforts to tackle insecurity in the state.
The governor extended his sympathies to the families of the victims, emphasizing that the loss of lives was unintentional.
In response to the incident, Lawal announced that his administration had dispatched a delegation to assess the situation and provide the necessary support to the victims’ families.
He said, “We have been battling issues within the last three days as a result of the airstrike. Let me say this, I have full information on what happened that fateful day, because we made the distress call to the Air Force in terms of some bandits attacking communities, and they quickly responded, and they were able to neutralise a lot of bandits.
“But on the second time when we made the same report, unfortunately some of those communities that came to rescue those under attack, and in the process, they were hit by the Air Force, and I believe it was not intentional.
“It was one of those things in this kind of situation. Sometimes there may be collateral damage and that was what happened in less than 3 days.
“I set up a powerful delegation led by my deputy governor for on-the-spot assessment and to commiserate with the families of those that lost their lives. In the process, what happened was fully explained, and they quite understood it was not intentional.”
