Tragedy struck in the fight against Boko Haram on Wednesday, when a fighter jet involved in the counter-insurgency operation in the North-East bombed a village in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, killing about 10 villagers.
Yunusari is in the Northern part of Yobe State, sharing international border with Niger Republic.
According to residents, the fighter jet belonging to the military approached from the Eastern part of the town around 8:30am and started firing sporadically.
However, a military source who confirmed the story said that the Air Force “accidentally” hit the wrong coordinates while targeting a camp belonging to Boko Haram insurgents in the area.
The Chairman of Yunusari Local Government Area, Alhaji Bukar Gaji also confirmed the incident.
“Yes, it happened; we received the sad news today and the victims are currently in the hospital receiving treatment,” he said.
However, Edward Gabkwet, Air Force spokesman denied the incident.
Refuting the claims, Gabkwet said, “This tweet is false in its entirety. The NAF last conducted a mission into Yobe State (Not Yunusari LGA) on 5 September 2021 and it was an armed recce. No bomb or missile was even expended. Thanks.”
He was reacting to a tweet by a media organisation.
Villagers in the past have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in Northeastern Nigeria.
