Defence
THE International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, INTERSOCIETY has expressed concern over what it described as deliberate, systematic, and state-sanctioned attacks of individuals on ethnic and religious grounds.
In a statement released on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, board chair, and Chidimma Udegbunam, head of Campaign and Publicity, INTERSOCIETY alleged that no fewer than 600 Nigerians who are mostly Christians including tens of soldiers have been sent to their early graves by Nigerian Air Force since 2017, through what it suspects to be premeditated and repetitive air bombings.
According to the statement, the indifference of the Nigeria government makes these bombings even more suspicious as “No single culpable officer, including pilot crew and their commanders, or senior air force official such as AOC or chief of air staff have been held accountable or dismissed from service, arrested, and prosecuted to prevent future recurrence and deter others.
“This is more so when all innocent victims of the air bombings have been abandoned and neglected by the federal government of Nigeria, thereby thickening strong suspicions that the attacks were deliberate, systematic and state sanctioned-perpetrated on ethnic and religious grounds,” it said.
INTERSOCIETY while drawing the attention of international organizations to the sad development, reeled out statistics to back up its position.
It stated that on 7th January 2017, a Christian IDP camp in Kale Balge LGA of Borno State was targeted and air-bombed by Nigerian Air Force, killing no fewer than 236.
It said that “It took the courage and conscience of then chairman of the LGA to open up, disclosing that no fewer than 236 were killed. This was after the authorities of the Nigerian Air Force had denied the killing and letter claimed that ‘it was a mistaken air raid targeted at Boko Haram insurgents.
“In Dec 2017, no fewer than 50 rural Christians in Numan, Adamawa State, were killed in another air raid by the Air Force in combined attacks with Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen-who separately killed additional 32 Christians.
“The authorities of the Nigerian Air Force again claimed that ‘the victims were mistaken for armed herdsmen”.
“Back in Jan 2021, at least six rural farmers were independently reported to have been bombed and killed by the Air Force in their farms in Orlu, Imo State.
“In late March and early April 2021, not less than 130 civilians were air-bombed and killed by Air Force in Benue (estimated 100 casualties) and Akwa Ibom (estimated 30 casualties) States with multi-million naira properties razed including the Palace of a respected Traditional Ruler.
“The authorities of the Military claimed that “those killed were the hoodlums who attacked and killed soldiers and other security personnel on duty.”
“Just a few days ago, tens of soldiers attached to Operation Lafiya Dole in Mainok town, Borno State (alleged to be mostly, if not all non-Muslim soldiers from the South), were air-bombed and killed by Nigerian Air Force.
“While the Nigerian Army admitted ‘losing six soldiers and an officer, the Air Force, again, claimed that the slain soldiers were mistaken for Boko Haram insurgents,” it said.
INTERSOCIETY, which expressed deep concern and worry over the indiscriminate, reckless, and unchecked loss of lives in the country, especially those aided or perpetrated by state actors since mid-2015, said that “The above accounts did not include hundreds, if not thousands of innocent and defenseless citizens including underage children possibly killed in counterinsurgency air raids by Nigerian Air Force in the Northeast.”
Intersociety insists that no part of Nigeria is safe from these vices which it said is “Traceably fueled by institutionalization by the present central government of Nigeria of impunity and state actor repeat-atrocities including the unaddressed massacre of Nigerians of particular tribe and religion through questionable air bombing and repeated tagging of same as “mistaken air bombardments”.
“Today, soldiers and police personnel and other security personnel including other members of the Armed Forces and the Paramilitaries who turned their publicly procured arms and armaments into instruments of extortion and brigandage on Nigerian roads, boundaries, seaports, railways, airports, borders, and other strategic locations are now forced by forces of injustice to battle daily to stay alive in their duty posts
“We are deeply worried and pained that sanctity of human lives does not matter anymore in Nigeria, to the extent that every part of the country now plays host to a litany of killing fields,” it said.
– April 27, 2021 @ 15:58 GMT
A.I
Tags: Intersociety INTERSOCIETY worried over killing of 600 Nigerians by Nigerian Air Force Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen Nigerian Air Force Operation Lafiya Dole
