No fewer than nine people are said to have been killed following an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force fighter jet in the Buhari community, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Residents who gave account of the sad occurrence, said several other people who were severely injured in the crisis had been taken to the medical center for treatment.
A resident of Damaturu, Saleh Ibrahim, while giving the account said the jet rained bullets on the villagers on Wednesday morning when the villagers were preparing to go to the weekly market in Geidam.
“The villagers were already set to go to the market at Geidam early in the morning when, suddenly, the jet appeared from nowhere and started shelling the village.
“Instantly, three people died. The sound of gunshots scared the villagers and they ran for safety, but others sustained injuries as a result.
“Some of the injured were attempting to tend to the dead people when they also got hit by bullets from the jet.
“As of 5:pm on Wednesday, the number of dead people had risen to nine, while over 30 people sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at Geidam General Hospital,” Ibrahim said.
He also explained that “Buhari village is in Yunusari Local Government, but closer to Geidam. He added that the entire Yunusari LGA doesn’t have facilities to attend to the injured victims.”
According to the source, Yunusari LGA has a strong presence of Boko Haram terrorists and has Boko Haram camps from where the insurgents often launch attacks against neighbouring Geidam LGA and make a retreat back to Yunusari.
He said both Yunusari and Geidam share a border with the Niger Republic.
Meanwhile the acting spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Sector 2 Operation Hadin Kai in Damaturu, Lt. Kennedy Anyanwu, said that they were “yet to receive any situation report about the incident.”