After 3 years, Yobe airstrike victims receive compensation, official apology from NAF (Pictures)
Story by Sa’adatu MAINA, Damaturu
In a move that brings a long-awaited measure of closure, the families of eight civilians killed and 30 others injured in a 2021 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike in Buhari Village, Yobe State, have finally received compensation and an official apology.
The event in Damaturu marked a significant step in reconciling one of the most painful episodes of the conflict in the North-East. For the first time, a senior NAF commander publicly addressed the victims, with Air Commodore U.U. Idris categorically stated the strike was an “unfortunate mistake.”
“I wish to state categorically that this incident was not intentional. It was a mistake that occurred during an operation targeting a Boko Haram enclave,” Idris told attendees.
The compensation, totalling ₦23 million, saw each of the eight bereaved families receive ₦1 million, while the 30 injured survivors were each granted ₦500,000. For many, the formal acknowledgement was as critical as the financial support.
Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru (Rtd), the Yobe State Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, recounted the tragic details of the September 2021 incident in the “Surgeons’ Enclave,” where a counter-terrorism mission went awry. He highlighted the persistent challenge for security forces: distinguishing insurgents from civilians in communities where they coexist.
READ ALSO: NAF makes U-Turn, admits “unfortunate” bombing of civilians in Yobe
The Yobe State Government, which had initially shouldered the victims’ medical costs, facilitated the ceremony, framing it as a pivotal moment for community relations.
“The Nigerian Air Force has shown wisdom and compassion in finally extending this hand of support,” stated Barrister Saleh Samanja, the Yobe State Commissioner of Justice.
He praised the gesture, which includes a new solar-powered borehole for the community, as essential for healing and strengthening trust between the people and the military.
The disbursement, conducted directly to victims or their verified representatives, concludes a nearly three-year chapter of pain for Buhari Village, offering a tangible form of resolution.
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