A pro-Democracy and Non- Governmental Organisation- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has dismissed the report of the
investigation purportedly conducted by the Defence Headquarters into the
bombing of an Internally Displaced person’s camp in Rann Borno state as
soft tissues of public relations gambit for the military institutions in
the Country.
Besides, the Rights group said the investigation does not meet the
threshold of global best practices since it wasn’t independent and
transparent and indeed it was simply an internal manipulative mechanisms
activated by the hierarchy of the nation’s military just to whitewash a
very serious and damaging institutional error committed by the Nigerian
military in the conduct of the ongoing counter terror war in the North
East of Nigeria.
In a statement by the NationalCoordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and
the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the
outcome of that official probe amounted to the height of insensitivity and
irresponsibility especially the dimension it took whereby the blame for
such a callous logistical error was shifted from the military of Nigeria
and the Nigerian State to the poor and desperate internally displaced
persons who were unfortunately bombed out of existence in their hundreds
by the same military institutions that ought to defend them from the
ferocious attacks of armed boko Haram terrorists.
HURIWA said that since the Defence Headquarters rightly branded the
incident as the erroneous airstrike of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)
near the Camp at Rann in Kala-Balge Local Government Area, Borno State, on
17 January 2017, by the Nigerian Air Force, why then was no single
person held to account for such an egregious miscalculation and error of
judgment?
HURIWA recalled that the Defence Headquarters constituted Boards of
Inquiry to investigate the incidents and come up with their reports.
However, defence headquarters affirmed that some of the Services and
commands who were directly affected also constituted their Boards of
Inquiry in line with service regulations. In all, Defence Headquarters
was equally provided with the reports of all the other Boards
constituted, to investigate the various incidents.
HURIWA recalled also that all the reports were evaluated by a final Board
at the Defence Headquarters, to have a clear picture of the incidents and
thereafter, comprehensive reports of each of the incidents were produced.
HURIWA recalled that the Defence Headquarters claimed that the main reason
that caused the unfortunate airstrike near the IDP camp at Rann, was lack
of appropriate marking of the area, near the Camp where the IDPs were
struck.
Defence Headquarters claimed that hitherto, people were not expected to
amass at that location. Furthermore, the location was not reflected in the
operational map as a humanitarian base.
The Defence Headquarters further claimed that “the normal pattern for Boko
Haram Terrorists to form up, 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 neutralized with speed”.
Reacting to the findings of the investigative panels on the bombing of the
IDPs, HURIWA said the findings were not far-reaching and was simply a
choreographed face saving measure erected by the military officials to
hide behind technicalities to exonerate their officers of guilt of
criminal negligence which may have occasioned the incident that caused the
untimely demise of over a hundred innocent civilians.
HURIWA accused the military of failing to list out the specific names of
individuals whether civilians or military who ought to have provided
operational intelligence but neglected their obligations thereby leading
to the accidental bombing of the civilians even as the Rights group said
there was clear evidence that the unfortunate cruel fate suffered by the
innocent civilians did not elicit adequate remorse from the military
institutions hence the identities of the victims were deliberately not
disclosed and the Spokesman of the Defence never offered profound
apologies for this egregious error.
Besides, the Rights group said there were reports that some of those
internally displaced persons waved their clothes to demonstrate that they
needed emergency services and assistance but that what they later saw were
series of bombs that were unleashed on them.
HURIWA therefore has asked the Federal Government to set up a high powered
judicial commission of inquiry into the accidental bombing during which
time the survivors would be invited in camera to render all the evidence
that they may have before and after the incident.
“HURIWA is calling on the Federal Government and the Acting President to
ensure that some persons are brought to account for the crime of bombing
internally displaced persons to death. What happened was human error which
may have occurred due to criminal negligence or crass incompetence and
lack of professionalism. Legally, Ethically and Morally whenever such an
incident happens the families of the unfortunate victims ought to be
adequately compensated and if someone or a group of persons were found
negligent of their lawful duties then they must be sanctioned in
accordance with the laws of Nigeria.”