Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Nigerian military’s mistaken airstrike on Sokoto communities, calling it a “cycle of death” and a gross violation of human rights.

“The devastating airstrike that claimed the lives of nearly a dozen innocent civilians and left many others wounded in the peaceful communities of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa in Sokoto State is an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest terms,” Mr Abubakar said in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Abubakar cited a previous similar incident, raising questions about whether the Nigerian military has learned any lessons from past mistakes that claimed hundreds of lives.

“But this tragedy begs the question: What have we truly learnt from the heart-wrenching losses of the past? On December 3, 2023, tens of innocent lives were lost in a brutal airstrike on a religious gathering at Tudun Biri, near Kaduna. How many more lives must be lost before we take action?”

He added, “The indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens — our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors — can never be justified. It is not only a failure but a gross violation of humanity itself.”

Sympathising with the families of those killed in the Sokoto airstrike on Wednesday, Mr Abubakar said, “We must stop this tragic cycle of death. The only way forward is to learn from the past, to make sure that every life is valued, and to ensure no more families have to mourn the loss of loved ones to senseless violence.”