By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The hierarchy of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) yesterday broke its silence over the inquiry by Human Rights Watch (HRW) – a non governmental organisation’s request for the outcome of investigation into the alleged killing of civilians during air bombardment of terrorists target in some parts of Nasarawa State by the Air Component of Operations Whirl Stroke, following an actionable intelligence.
In January 2023, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule confirmed that there was a bomb blast in a community close to the border between Nasarawa and Benue states.
Governor Sule noted that a sizable number of cattle was kept at the site of the bomb incident.
He said: “It has to do with some Fulani who got to rescue their cows and after rescuing the cows, there was a bomb blast at the area where they gathered cows to bring them back to Nasarawa state.
“As a result of that, I have been on it all night, trying to solve the matter, Chief of Defence State, Miyatti Allah, all the security agents including our commissioner. Our deputy commissioners are on their way to Idoma, to ensure that we continue to dowse the tension that may generate as a result of this.”
Meanwhile, a recent report by the HRW on the above subject matter, described as unacceptable military’s delay in owning up to the killing and injuring dozens of civilians in its erroneous airstrikes.
The report said 39 civilians were killed in the erroneous airstrikes on January 24, 2023, and injured at least six others at Kwateri in Nasarawa State.
It added that at least 300 innocent people have been killed in airstrikes targeted at bandits or Boko Haram terrorists in the last seven years.
“Since 2017, over 300 people are reported to have been killed by airstrikes that the Nigerian Air Force claimed were intended for bandits or members of the Islamist armed group Boko Haram, but instead hit civilians.”
But reacting to the current report by Human Rights Watch, following a question during the biweekly briefing at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), in Abuja, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), said no innocent person was killed in the targeted airstrike.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa, challenged the people who said innocent citizens were killed to provide the evidence, and let the press do their analysis and then the truth will come out.
He noted that the position of the Nigerian Air Force is that terrorists were struck that day, and whether it is Miyetti Allah, or whatever group that thinks that they were innocent people, let them provide the evidence.
“If they think the military is going to give the evidence of those operations now, they will not get it, because there is information that cannot be declassified now. But let us put the burden on the people, if they came there to collect their cows, where are the cows? Where is the picture of the strike? How did those people die? I think the press needs to do better than this and if they look at it, after that particular incident, have we heard of any terrorists’ activities in that area?” NAF spokesperson queried.
Going down memory lane, Air Commodore Famuyiwa, said, the latest interest of the media on the airstrike incident in Nasarawa earlier this year resulted from the Human Rights Watch inquiry on the issue.
According to him, “The Human Rights Watch wrote to the Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on these particular allegations, wanting to know what happened. Unfortunately, based on the Human Rights Watch report or their position on what happened, the press seems to leverage.
