Photo: Military friends or foes of the people?
By Austine Manekator
On Christmas Day, the people of Silame in Sokoto State were thrown into confusion by intense air strafing by the military that swore to defend and protect innocent and law-abiding Nigerian citizens. When the roar of the aircraft and heavy gunfire died, some 10 inhabitants of the community lay dead and in the pools of their blood.
After a series of claims and counterclaims, it has now been confirmed that the dead were innocent civilians, contrary to claims by the Defence Headquarters, which had insisted after the incident that members of the new bandit group, Lakurawa were the target of the air assault.
For the second Christmas in a row, the world gasped at the bestial killing of Nigerian citizens by their soldiers. It is another own-goal that has further alienated the military from the citizens that they are meant to protect and support.
The deaths from this failure of intelligence are a lesser catastrophe than the 2023 butcher of over 85 innocent villagers in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State during a drone strike on Christmas Day 2023. Yet, it is another embarrassing and shocking failure of the military which resonated across the nation and beyond.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lambasted the military for the callous incident, wondering why the military did not learn any lesson from the previous incident.
“The indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens — our brothers, our sisters, our neighbours— can never be justified”, the former VP said. “It is not only a failure but a gross violation of humanity itself. When those who are meant to be our partners in the fight against terrorism are instead treated as targets, we are sowing the seed of further discord and anger,” Atiku said.
Over the past decade, Nigerian military operations have inadvertently caused the deaths of over 400 civilians across numerous regions due to errors in targeting and flawed intelligence.
Notable incidents, locations, death tolls:
Rann IDP Camp Bombing (2017): In Rann, Borno State, a mistaken airstrike on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp claimed over 115 lives, including women, children, and aid workers.
Konduga Misfire (2014): An airstrike in Konduga, Borno State, mistakenly hit civilian areas, killing dozens.
Damboa Tragedy (2018): In Damboa, Borno State, 40 civilians lost their lives when a military operation misidentified them as insurgents.
Bombing Near Baga Refugees (2015): Refugees fleeing Boko Haram violence near Baga were mistakenly bombed, resulting in dozens of fatalities.
Borno Funeral Massacre (2019): A funeral in Borno State turned deadly when an airstrike killed over 30 mourners after being misidentified as a Boko Haram gathering.
Zabarmari Farmers’ Killings (2020): Over 20 farmers working in their fields in Zabarmari, Borno State, were mistakenly targeted in a military airstrike.
Yobe School Attack (2014): An airstrike intended for insurgents hit a school sheltering displaced children in Yobe State, killing dozens.
Maiduguri Residential Bombing (2020): Several civilians were killed during an airstrike that hit residential homes in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Adamawa Village Bombings (2015): Multiple villages in Adamawa State were bombed during an anti-insurgency operation, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths.
Tudun Biri Drone Strike (2023): A drone strike in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State, killed over 85 civilians during a Mawlid celebration, following intelligence errors.
