NAF Gives N23m Support To Victims of Accidental Airstrike in Yobe
By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has given N23 million to families of the 2021 accidental airstrike that killed eight people and injured 30 people in Buhari village, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe state.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, in a message, explained that the Air Force jet was targeting ISWAP members when the village was mistakenly attacked.
Represented by the Air Component Commander, Joint Task Force North-East Operation Hadin Kai, Air Commodore Umar U. Idris, he expressed deep regret over the incident and commiserated with the families of those who lost their loved ones and others who sustained various degrees of injuries.
Each of the eight families of the deceased victims got N1 million, while the 30 injured victims got N500,000 each.
He said NAF has embarked on quick-impact projects in the Buhari Community, including the installation of a solar-powered borehole to provide potable water to the community, while additional projects are underway to support livelihoods.
The Yobe state Governor, Mai Mala Buni commended the NAF for its efforts and pledged the state government’s commitments to achieve the objectives of its operations.
The governor, represented by his Special Advisor on Security Matters, Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru (Rtd), said the incident was not intentional, noting that it was a mistake while targeting a Boko Haram enclave.
“Unfortunately, eight civilians lost their lives, while 30 others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” Dahiru said.
“The state government immediately took responsibility for the victims’ medical treatment and provided logistics support to the families of the deceased.”
He explained that Buhari community had been under Boko Haram occupation, with insurgents living among residents — a situation that complicates counterinsurgency operations.
“Civilian casualties are never intentional; they are an unfortunate consequence of the complex nature of counterinsurgency warfare,” he added.
