How Villagers Picked Fragments From US Strike Scene – Village Head

Attacks on ISIS terrorists and Lakurawa locations in two local government areas of Sokoto State, Tambuwal and Tangaza local government areas on Thursday night sent shockwaves and left residents in panic.

A traditional ruler said some residents rushed to the scene and began collecting shrapnel, unaware of the dangers involved.

Residents said the strikes came suddenly, with some explosives landing in the communities but, no casualties were recorded.

“It happened suddenly in the night. The explosion caused fear, but thank God it didn’t land among people,” a Tambuwal resident said.

In Tangaza local government area, residents confirmed another attack on Lakurawa terrorists that affected a building with no casualty.

A local government official who requested anonymity said the attack occurred around midnight at Warriya and Alkasim villages.

Following the airstrikes Nigerian armed forces have intensified deployments across border local government areas including Gudu, Tangaza and Binji to block terrorists’ escape routes, prevent regrouping and reassure communities of security.

A native of the community who resides in Sokoto metropolis, Engineer Nuhu Umar Jabo, said he first learned of the incident through a distress call shortly after the explosion.

“At about 10:45 p.m., I received a call from Jabo that something strange had happened. The information was that something like an aircraft or object from the air had fallen.

“I started making calls immediately. I contacted relevant authorities close to me and informed them that something serious had happened in Jabo,” he said.

As residents cautiously moved towards the scene of the explosion, they discovered scattered debris behind a hospital and across nearby farmlands. Pieces of metallic objects, some resembling aluminium, were found spread across the area, including farmlands.

The Sarkin Burmin Jabo (district head) of the community, Alhaji Aliyu Garba Jabo, said he was with his family in his palace when the explosion occurred.

“We heard a very loud sound at about 10:40 pm, initially, we thought it was an aircraft that crashed,” he said.

According to him, confusion and panic spread quickly as residents attempted to understand what had happened.

“When we followed up, we discovered that the explosion occurred behind a hospital. Fragments were scattered everywhere, he said.”

The traditional ruler expressed concern that some residents rushed to the scene and began collecting shrapnel, unaware of the danger involved.

“This is not the best action. People do not understand the implications of handling such materials,” he said.

Security agencies later arrived the scene. Army personnel were among the first responders and evacuated some of the rubble, while the anti-bomb squad of the police was later deployed to carry out technical investigations.

Jabo urged residents to stay away from the scene and allow the authorities do their work.

Meanwhile, the state government has yet to react to the incident.