SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, (THEWILL) – The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, on Friday identified “lack of appropriate marking’’ as what caused the accidental airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, which killed several Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Rann, Borno State, on January 17.
THEWILL recalls that then head of the counter-insurgency operations in the North-East, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor had stated that 112 persons were killed even as 97 others sustained injury from the incident.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the board of Inquiry set up to probe the air strike, the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, explained that the bombing happened because the location was not “reflected in the operational map as a humanitarian base”.
He assured that all locations where humanitarian activities take place in the theatre of operation would be appropriately marked for ground and aerial identification so as to avert a recurrence of the ugly case. This, he said, is in line with international best practices.
Enenche continued, “The main reason that caused the unfortunate airstrike near the IDPs camp at Rann was lack of appropriate marking of the area near the camp where the IDPs were struck.
“Hitherto, people were not expected to amass at that location.
“The normal pattern for Boko Haram terrorists before attacking innocent civilians and troops is to amass.
“Hence, it appeared as a place that could equally be used for enemy activities.
“Thus, when mass movement was noticed through aerial satellite observation, it was taken for Boko Haram terrorists’ activity, which needed to be neutralised with speed.”
Part of the recommendations of the board was that geographical and spatial coordinates of all areas of humanitarian activities within the theatre should be forwarded to the Theatre Command Headquarters.
“There should be timely and mandatory exchange of information between stakeholders, for all activities in the theatre of operation,” the Defence spokesman added.
