Silame Airstrike Catastrophe: ACF Calls For Swift Action And Overhaul Of Military Tactics

Silame Airstrike Catastrophe: ACF Calls For Swift Action And Overhaul Of Military Tactics

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has strongly condemned the tragic airstrike in Sokoto State’s Silame Local Government Area on Christmas Day, which left 10 dead and many more injured. Calling it “one too many,” the ACF has…Silame Airstrike Catastrophe: ACF Calls For Swift Action And Overhaul Of Military Tactics

demanded an urgent reassessment of the military’s security strategies across Nigeria.

In a statement released on Tuesday from Kaduna, Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, the ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, expressed deep concern about the handling of the incident by the Defence Headquarters. Initially dismissing reports of civilian casualties, the military’s response was labeled as “insensitive” by the Forum. The ACF criticized the military’s continued denial of civilian impact, drawing comparisons to the previous Tudun Biri airstrike, where initial denials were later overturned after internal reviews.

“The military’s lack of empathy and their insistence on defending the attack as targeting a planned objective was wrong,” the statement noted, calling for compensation for the victims’ families based on Islamic principles. “Those affected by the deaths and injuries must be compensated promptly and fairly,” it emphasized.

The Forum acknowledged the swift response of Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, who visited the affected communities, attended the funerals, and promised the injured medical treatment at government expense. Despite the tragedy, the ACF reiterated its unwavering support for the military’s efforts to combat terrorism and criminality in Nigeria, but called for a more refined approach to prevent further civilian casualties.

The ACF also drew attention to similar attacks in other states, such as Adamawa and Nasarawa, stressing that the human costs of such incidents were increasingly unacceptable. “We support the military’s mission to eliminate terrorism, but the impact on innocent citizens must be carefully considered,” the statement concluded.

In the wake of the Silame incident, the ACF called for urgent steps to ensure lessons were learned and measures implemented to prevent such errors in the future. The Forum extended its condolences to the families of the victims and urged the government to take swift and decisive action.

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