The Government of Niger Republic has alleged that an airstrike from Nigeria Military Forces has claimed seven lives and left five others severely wounded.
Speaking on the issue, the Governor of the Maradi Region, Chaibou Aboubacar, today, revealed that the strike was a mistake that resulted to the death of several innocent personson within the village of Nachade.
He claimed that about four of the children passed away immediately the shot hit the ground and three others succumbed “to their injuries while being transported to hospital.
He noted that the parents and guardians of the deceased children were attending a ceremony when the airstrike suddenly hit the spot where they were reportedly playing.
Nigerian Army Targeting Bandits Mistakenly Kills Children in Niger Republic
He believes the planes were targeting “armed bandits” in the border areas, but “missed their target”, hitting Nachade instead.
Aboubacar said he visited the children’s graves on Saturday as well as the scene of the bombardment.
Several municipalities in the Maradi region are seriously affected by the violence of heavily armed gangs from the Nigerian states of neighbouring Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara.
The region of Maradi is one of seven regions of Niger. It is located in south-central Niger, east of the region of Tahoua, west of Zinder, and north of the Nigerian city of Kano.
