Top military officers in trouble over bombing of IDP camp in Rann, read why
- The Nigerian Air Force has set up a panel to probe the recent strikes at the IDP camp in Rann, Borno state with a two-weeks mandate
- Some top officials in the military are said to have been invited to face the panel while some organisations want a thorough probe of the incident
Some top military chiefs as well as the pilots who carried out the error bombing of a camp of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Rann, Borno state are to be summoned by a panel that has been set up to investigate the tragedy.
The Nigerian government says the bombing of Rann IDP camp was avoidable
This is as some international rights groups including the Human Rights Watch (HRW) have revealed that the Nigerian Air Force had no reason to have carried out the bombing on the victims of the Boko Haram since the military has a base close to the place and the camp is in the centre of the town.
The Punch reports that the Nigerian Air Force inaugurated a six-man panel on Thursday, January 19 with a mandate to investigate the incident and submit its report within two weeks.
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The report further listed those to be summoned to include the theatre commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor; the pilots who launched the air strikes, and some air officers at the Air Component base in Yola, Adamawa state.
Members of the panel, according to the report, are the NAF Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice-Marshal Salihu Bala-Ribah, Air Vice-Marshal Charles Oghomwen, Air Commodore Ayoola Jolasinmi, Group Captain Essien Efanga, Wing Commander Solmon Irmiya and Wing Commander Mohammed Muazu.
It quoted a major Air Force source as confirming the invitation of Irabor and some NAF officers.
It said the pilots that dropped the bombs had not yet being sanctioned since the panel was yet to investigate and submit its report.
The NAF director of public relations and information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, reportedly said in a statement that the panel is to submit its report on Thursday, February 2, 2017.
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“The NAF has constituted a board of senior officers to investigate the accidental air strike on January 17, 2017, at Rann, Borno State. Among its terms of reference, the board is to determine the immediate and remote causes as well as the circumstances that led to the incident.
“This is with a view to forestalling future occurrence. In addition to a list of 20 witnesses given to it, the board is free to invite other persons to give evidence on oath. The Board is to submit its report not later than February 2, 2017,” he said.
The report said the panel would find out whether surveillance was done at the location before the air strike and if the Rann location had been an IDPs’ camp known to the military or not.