More
revelation is coming in on how a fighter jet involved in the counter-insurgency
operation in the North-East fired at aid workers, soldiers and displaced
persons in error, killing no fewer than 100 persons on the ground.
Aid
workers confirmed to have been killed in the bombing included the officials of Doctors Without Borders
(Medecins Sans Frontieres), International Committee of the Red Cross and some
refugees.
But
the Nigerian Air Force said in a statement on Tuesday evening that it had begun
an investigation into the accidental air strike.
The
NAF Director of Information and Public Relations, Group Captain Ayodele
Famuyiwa, said, “We are saddened by today’s accidental air strike by our
fighter jet at Rann, in which innocent lives were lost. While available information
is still sketchy, the loss occasioned by this unfortunate incident is deeply
regretted.
“We
commiserate with the affected families and would update the public as soon as
detailed facts emerge from the investigation.”
It
was learnt that the accidental air strike happened at about 9am in Rann, in the
far north of Borno State as aid workers distributed food to Internally
Displaced Persons.
A
resident of the area, Abba Abiso, told AFP
on the telephone, “This morning, a military jet mistakenly bombarded Rann,
instead of (nearby) Kala.
“In
recent weeks, Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and
obviously, a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded it, killing many
civilians.
“At
least 25 were killed and many more injured.”
The
MSF, however, said in a statement, “MSF teams have seen 120 wounded and 50 dead
following the bombing.”
MSF
said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in
the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.
“Our
medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded
patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following
the event,” it added.
An
official of the Borno State Government, one of those helping to coordinate the
evacuation of the injured by helicopter, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said 100 people had been killed.
MSF
later, on Tuesday, put the figure of the dead at 95, admitting that it had yet
to confirm the figure.
The
Theatre Commander of Operation
Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, who heads the military
operation against the militants, said the Nigerian Air Force had been given
coordinates of Boko Haram terrorists in the Kala-Balge area.
“This
morning, we received a report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists
around the Kala Balge area of Maiduguri,” he told reporters at a briefing in
Maiduguri on Tuesday.
“I
coordinated and I directed that the air component of the operation should go
and address the problem.
“Unfortunately,
the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals, somewhere in Rann,
were affected.
“So
far, it is a little bit disturbing; death has occurred. There are casualties;
there were deaths and injuries but on the actual number of casualties, we would
get back to you later.
“I
am yet to get the number of casualties of civilians killed, but two soldiers
were also affected.
“Some
humanitarian staff of Medicines
Sans Frontiers and some staff of International Committee of Red
Cross were also affected.
“We
are sending helicopters to evacuate those that were critically wounded,
including our wounded soldiers.”
Six
workers of the ICRC were among the dead, while 13 others were said to have been
injured.
The
Red Cross said it was “deeply concerned” about the reported casualties among
civilians and humanitarian workers in the air strikes on Rann.
The
ICRC spokesperson, Ms. Matijevic Aleksandra, who confirmed the casualty figure
of their workers, said the injured had been moved to a medical facility in
Rann.
She
said, “We regret that among the casualties of today’s air strikes in Rann,
there are six Nigerian Red Cross members killed and 13 injured. They brought
desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons.
“We
have been coordinating emergency efforts in Rann with the relevant authorities
and other aid actors.”
Also,
the Acting Secretary-General, Nigerian Red Cross Headquarters, Andronicus
Adeyemo, confirmed that six members of the ICRC died in the bombing.
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