From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum has expressed dismay over the military bomb attack on the Silame Community in Sokoto State, which resulted in the deaths of 10 persons and injured several others.
This was contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, and made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.
The statement stated that the ACF is deeply troubled and saddened by the Silame incident, as one far too many in the country.
It called for a probe into the attack and equal compensation of the victims.
“This was not an isolated incident, as the memories of similar attacks on Tudun Biri community, Kaduna State, about a year ago, and earlier in Adamawa and Nasarawa states, with their gruesome statistics of casualties, remain fresh in memory”, he said.
The Forum also expressed concern over the military’s response to the attack, particularly the statement by a spokesman that the attack was on a planned target.
The ACF described the response as “insensitive” and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
“The bland response of a spokesperson of the military insisting that the attack was on a planned target was most insensitive.
“We recall that the Defence Headquarters had initially attempted to wish away the Tudun Biri tragedy only to later admit it as a mistake, as indeed proved so by its internal investigations. It is not clear if indeed those responsible for Tudun Biri had been punished as ought to have been,” the ACF Spokesman said.
However, the pan-northern socio-political organization hailed the Sokoto State Government for its prompt response to the attack, particularly the visit by Governor Ahmed Aliyu to the community, where he commiserated with the families of the victims and promised to provide medical attention to the injured at government expense.
“We commend the Sokoto State Government for the prompt response and call on those concerned to double up efforts to see that the Governor’s promises are carried out without delay,” Muhammad-Baba, said
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