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Kurebe Military Airstrike: Niger govt insists no child was killed


 

Niger State Government has insisted that six children were not killed during the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, an airstrike in Kubere, Shiroro Local Government Area, last week Wednesday.

However, residents of Kurebe insisted that six of their kids aged between six and nine years lost their lives during the military operations.

The state government in a press statement released by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, SSG, Ibrahim Ahmed Matane and Commissioner for Local Government Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, Emmanuel Bagna Umar denied the death of the kids.

The SSG in his statement denied reports attributed to him, alleging he confirmed that a NAF fighter jet killed the children in the state.

He described the reports as false and malicious, adding that he never granted any interviews to that effect.

Responding, the state Commissioner for Local Government, Umar said to the best of the knowledge of the state government, there are no civilians residing in the areas for sometimes now due to the infiltration and activities of the terrorists which forced the locals to seek shelter at IDP camps in other parts of the state.

He explained that the military operations in conjunction with other security agencies have repelled bandits attacks in Shiroro and Munya LGA and rescued many abductees accordingly.

” While the State Government appreciates the victories recorded during these operations, it also looks forward to sustained operations to eradicate bandits from the state. These efforts will no doubt restore confidence in the communities within the area, which will enable them to return to their farms” he stated.

But residents of Kurebe insist the state government is economical with the truth and wondered the rationale behind the bombing by the NAF in the area when the hideout of the Bandits and terrorists is not hidden.

They claimed that since the incident occurred neither the NAF nor the Niger State Government has contacted them on the development.

A resident of Kurebe and relation of one of the parents that was badly affected and who does not want his name mentioned described the death of his uncle’s two daughters and two granddaughters out of the six girls as painful and devastating for the family.

The source explained that the six girls aged six and nine years met their death during NAF air bombings on their way to fetch water for their parents from a motorized borehole in the community.

Another resident, Sani Kurebe said he strongly believes, the military airstrike that killed the children was a mistake.

He said aside from the loss of lives, the community recorded some damages, saying some people were injured, a house was totally destroyed, others have a portion of their roof blown up, just as others had cracks on their houses.

” I strongly believe, the airstrike that affected our community was a mistake, this is because the terrorist camps are well-known places even to the security. The terrorists around the community are of two groups, with two different camps. One links up with the community through Unguwan Zomo, the other through Kwantan Yashi,” he noted.

Collaborating with the villagers earlier in a statement, Salis M. Sabo, the spokesman of the Coalition of Shiroro Association, COSA, said the two other children who lost their lives in the incidents have for long lost their parents.

He explained,” one of them is a daughter of late Malam Isah Kurebe, who was killed by the terrorists two years ago. The innocent child he left has now been taken away by a similar fate. This is the second time this type of incident is happening.”

“While we continue to vent, spleen, raise dust and even bring down the roof when the occasion calls for that to get the government do what it has sworn to do. However, the continued pampering of these nefarious vermins who inflict terror straight from the gutter will leave us with so much to be inferred”.

Further efforts to get the reaction of the spokesman of the NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet failed.

Kurebe village is inhabited by about 2,000 people in Shiroro local government is a border community with Kaduna State.

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