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<v Speaker 1>Residents in Zamfara State, one of the troubled states in

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<v Speaker 1>Nigeria with frequent attacks on the locals by bandits, have

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<v Speaker 1>reported that not less than twenty vigilantes were killed apparently

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<v Speaker 1>in error by the Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on Saturday,

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<v Speaker 1>when a group of vigilante members gave a chase to

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<v Speaker 1>invading bandits who killed and abducted a lot of persons,

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<v Speaker 1>most especially farmers at Garranmani, Mariah and Wabi villages in

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<v Speaker 1>Maru local Government area of Zamfara State. This an apparent

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<v Speaker 1>military insider. News media Zagazila, in its publication titled air

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<v Speaker 1>strike in Zamfara kills over twenty bandits but claims vigilante

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<v Speaker 1>casualties released on Monday, claimed that only five vigilante members

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<v Speaker 1>were killed because the victims failed to follow operational guidelines

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<v Speaker 1>of military joint operations. Specifically, the probably pro government and

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<v Speaker 1>military news media stated that when the vigilantes were given

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<v Speaker 1>signal to retreat, they failed to do so. Adding to

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<v Speaker 1>the Zagazola media, the Nigerian Army has confirmed that over

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<v Speaker 1>twenty bandits were neutralized during a coordinated air interdiction operation

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<v Speaker 1>in Mariah and Wabi villages of Maru Local Government Area

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<v Speaker 1>of Zamfara State, while four members of a local vigilante

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<v Speaker 1>group were also affected in the attack. Zagazola Makama gathered

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<v Speaker 1>from reliably sources that the air strike, which occurred on

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<v Speaker 1>Saturday May thirty first, was followed by a grand exploitation

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<v Speaker 1>mission on Saturday by troops of one Brigade, Operation FANS

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<v Speaker 1>and YAMMA to assess the impact and conduct clearance operations

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<v Speaker 1>in the area. The sources said that the interdiction inflicted

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<v Speaker 1>significant losses on the terrorists, including the destruction of their

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<v Speaker 1>motorcycles and equipment. During the exploitation on June first, it

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<v Speaker 1>was confirmed that over twenty bandits were neutralized and several

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<v Speaker 1>motorcycles destroyed, the source stated. However, the source also confirmed

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<v Speaker 1>that some number of vigilanti personnel were mistakenly caught in

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<v Speaker 1>the strike due to a failure to comply with withdrawal

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<v Speaker 1>orders issued ahead of the operation. Unfortunately, five vigilante members

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<v Speaker 1>were killed, while two others sustained injuries and are currently

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<v Speaker 1>receiving treatment in the hospital. A few others sustained minor

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<v Speaker 1>injuries and did not require hospitalization. The source added. According

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<v Speaker 1>to field reports, the leader of the vigilante group has

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<v Speaker 1>accepted full responsibility for the casualties suffered by his men,

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<v Speaker 1>stating that they disregarded earlier instructions to withdraw from the

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<v Speaker 1>outskirts of the village ahead of the air strike. He

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<v Speaker 1>admitted that despite being informed of the imminent air operation,

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<v Speaker 1>some of the vigilante youths insisted on pursuing the fleeing

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<v Speaker 1>bandits and were still within the target area when the

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<v Speaker 1>aircraft struck. The military source said Zagazila learned that the

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<v Speaker 1>interdiction was part of intensified counter terrorism efforts by troops

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<v Speaker 1>under Operation Hadder and Dargy to degrade the operational capacity

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<v Speaker 1>of armed groups terrorizing commit unities across Zamfara and neighboring states.

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<v Speaker 1>The sources said that the military has consistently warned local

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<v Speaker 1>security outfits and civilian volunteers to adhere strictly to operational

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<v Speaker 1>guidelines and instructions during joint operations to prevent unintended casualties.

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<v Speaker 1>The latest operation comes amid renewed efforts by the Nigerian

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<v Speaker 1>armed forces to stabilize rural areas ahead of the farming

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<v Speaker 1>season and restore civil authority in volatile communities across the

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<v Speaker 1>northwest Sahara. Reporters also reported that the Nigerian military fighter

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<v Speaker 1>jet has mistakenly struck and killed about twenty men of

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<v Speaker 1>a vigilante group during an operation targeting bandits in Garonmani,

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<v Speaker 1>a village in the Maru local government area of Zamfara State.

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<v Speaker 1>The tragic incident occurred after armed bandits attacked the village,

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<v Speaker 1>killing several residents and abducting over fifty others, mostly farmers

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<v Speaker 1>who were working on their fields. Eyewitnesses said the attackers

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<v Speaker 1>stormed the area on motorcycles around noon, shooting indiscriminately and

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<v Speaker 1>causing widespread panic. In response, local vigilante groups mobilized and

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<v Speaker 1>began chasing the fleeing assailants. However, a military aircraft deployed

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<v Speaker 1>to the scene allegedly misidentified the vigilantes as bandits and

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<v Speaker 1>launched air strikes on them. We were pursuing the bandits

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<v Speaker 1>when we saw the fighter jet approaching, one of the

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<v Speaker 1>vigilantes told B. B. C. Hauser. It flew very low

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<v Speaker 1>and started bombing us. Some of us survived by pretending

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<v Speaker 1>we had been hit. When the jet left, we got

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<v Speaker 1>up and fled to safety. Another resident, who spoke on

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<v Speaker 1>condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident and expressed disappointment over

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<v Speaker 1>the lack of communication from the military. We understand it

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<v Speaker 1>was an unfortunate mistake, but the military should acknowledge what

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<v Speaker 1>happened and reach out to the victim's families, he said.

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<v Speaker 1>He also appealed to the government to deploy additional troops

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<v Speaker 1>to the area as the bandits had threatened to return.

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<v Speaker 1>This is not the first time such an incident has occurred.

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<v Speaker 1>In January, an air strike mistakenly killed sixteen people, including vigilantes,

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<v Speaker 1>in Tungakara, also in Zamfara. Similarly, in December last year,

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<v Speaker 1>ten residents of Gidden Visser and Sokto's state were killed

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<v Speaker 1>in a misdirected air strike. As of the time of

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<v Speaker 1>filing this report, the Nigerian military has yet to issue

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<v Speaker 1>an official statement on the latest incident. Sahar Air Reporters

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<v Speaker 1>news report ends in quotes Abu Bakar Lawell, a Facebook user, said,

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<v Speaker 1>you know what happened in Zamfara. If not, then let

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<v Speaker 1>me tell you. Bandits attacked a village in Maru and

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<v Speaker 1>abducted fifty people. Hearing this, the vigilantes went to rescue

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<v Speaker 1>the people who were kidnapped, but the Nigerian Air Force

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<v Speaker 1>had another plan. They mistakenly bombed the vigilantes, resulting in

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<v Speaker 1>the death of twenty of them and many feared injured.

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<v Speaker 1>Now I have a quest since this is the second

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<v Speaker 1>time this is happening. The Nigeria Air Force cannot differentiate

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<v Speaker 1>between bandits or vigilantes or is there anything they are

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<v Speaker 1>not telling us. Another Facebook user, god Eyed Junior, also

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<v Speaker 1>said that I don't see this as a mistake anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the fifth time in less than three years.

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<v Speaker 1>I think how many more mistakes will they make before

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<v Speaker 1>they learn and nobody will be punished. To take cover

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<v Speaker 1>when you see military jetsu, because anything can happen. Lady

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<v Speaker 1>bringing you bring me in a mortgage way.