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Tag: Civilians

  • Govt orders probe after air strikes killed civilians

    Govt orders probe after air strikes killed civilians

    • Scores die, many injured •Attack not intentional, says Army

    A probe was launched yesterday into Sunday night’s bombing of worshippers in Kaduna State.

    A routine air strike by the Army intended to attack terrorists hit some civilians during a religious celebration.

    The Army and Kaduna government confirmed the incident.

    It occurred at Tudun Biri village, Afaka ward of Rigasa District in Igabi Local Government Area.

    Many people were killed and a host of others were left injured.

    A video showed many bodies scattered around the bombing site.

    Neither the Army nor the Kaduna State government gave the casualty figures.

    But an eyewitness said no fewer than 80 people died.

    A tweet by Bashir Ahmad, a former special assistant to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari gave the figure of the dead at 126.

    Ahmad added: “@HQNigerianArmy, Nigerians are waiting to hear from you how this ‘mistake’ will be corrected and what measures you’d put in place to prevent a recurrence.”

    The situation led to the summoning of a security meeting yesterday by the Kaduna government.

    It was presided over by Deputy Governor Hadiza Balarabe and attended by General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro.

    After the meeting, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the Army admitted that an error occurred during the routine campaign against terrorists in the area.

    Aruwan stated: “The Kaduna State government has received briefings on Sunday night’s attack, which left several citizens dead and others injured.

    “Maj.-Gen. Okoro explained that the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently affected members of the community.

    “The deputy governor, at the end of the meeting, conveyed the condolences of the government and people of Kaduna State to the families that lost their loved ones and prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls. 

    “As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue efforts are still ongoing, as dozens of injured victims have been evacuated to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital by the government.”

    Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani said: “I received with shock news of the tragic incident at Tudun Biri village, Afaka ward of Rigasa District of Igabi Local Government.

    “Muslim faithful observing Maulud celebration were mistakenly killed and many others injured, following a military drone attack targeting terrorists and bandits.”

    He added: “The state government has dispatched top government officials to the area to assess the situation, reach out to the families of the victims and advise the government on the immediate actions/measures to be taken to lessen the pains of the families of the victims. 

    “I have ordered an immediate investigation into the tragic incident.

    “We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection would be prioritised in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.

    “I have also directed the immediate evacuation of the injured to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital for emergency medical attention.

    “The government will be responsible for their treatment and related logistics.

    “I appeal to the affected community and all citizens to keep calm and continue to support the security forces and the state government in our battle against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements in Kaduna State.

    “I am in consultation with the security forces to ensure that such mistakes are avoided in future operations.

    “On behalf of the government and people of Kaduna State, I wish to express our heartfelt sympathies to the families who lost their loved ones.

    “May Allah in his mercy grant all of the victims Aljannah Firdaus, and their families the fortitude to bear these irreparable losses.

    “Our heartfelt commiserations also go to those who sustained injuries. We wish them a speedy recovery.”

    The initial reaction was that the bomb was dropped by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet, but NAF debunked it.

    Read Also: Death toll in Kaduna civilians’ bombing rises to 80

    NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said: “The news making the rounds alleging that Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft accidentally killed innocent civilians in Kaduna is false.

    “Please be informed that the NAF has not carried out any air operations within Kaduna State and environs in the last 24 hours.

    “Also, note that the NAF is not the only organisation operating combat armed drones in the Northwestern region of Nigeria.”

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) described the incident as unfortunate.

    Kaduna State chapter chairman, Rev. John Hayab, said CAN was saddened by the news.

    He said: “CAN wishes to commiserate with the Muslim Ummah as many of the affected were said to be celebrating the Maulud, which is an unfortunate incident.

    “CAN sends its heart-warm condolences to the families who lost loved ones, the Tudun Biri community, the good people of Igabi Local Government, the Emir of Zazzau, and the government of the state.

    “While CAN prays for the repose of the souls of those who died in the incident, he prays for a speedy recovery for those receiving treatment due to injuries sustained.

    “The wrong target bombing is most unfortunate, especially as it comes at a time when the security agencies and Nigerians alike are working tirelessly to ensure that our society is free from criminal elements that go about killing, abducting, cattle rustling, and destroying property of innocent citizens. 

    “Therefore, CAN encourages the Muslim Ummah and the good people of the Tudun Biri area to accept the ill-fated incident not as a deliberate act but as an error that the Nigerian Army has acknowledged and shows regret.

    “It is our prayer that such an unfortunate incident is not repeated in the future, whether in Kaduna state or any part of the country.

    In a statement by its President, Yerima Shettima, AYCF said the accident was one mistake too many.

    “We are calling on the government to carry out a thorough investigation on this avoidable ‘mistake’ if intelligence gathering is anything to go by.

    “Perpetrators of this so-called mistake must be made to explain beyond reasonable doubts how religious people carrying out religious activities could be mistaken for terrorists.

    “While we commiserate with families of those who were killed, we pray God to give speedy recovery to the injured.

    “Enough of these unwarranted killings of innocent people by those who should protect them,” AYCF said.

    NEF was worried about the safety of civilians in conflict zones.

    It called for a thorough investigation into the incident to identify any systemic failures, gaps in training, or inadequate protocols that may have contributed to the accident.

    In a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, NEF said: “The ‘accidental’ bombing by the Nigerian military during an operation against bandits in a Kaduna village is a matter of serious concern regarding the safety and well-being of civilians in conflict zones.

    “The Forum demands a thorough investigation into the incident…

    “NEF understands that the Kaduna State government had risen to the occasion and also pledged that the victims of the strike will be compensated.

    “However, beyond compensation for the victims, a thorough investigation is essential to ensure justice for the affected civilians, prevent future occurrences, and uphold the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law.

    “By identifying the causes and circumstances surrounding the incident, the investigation can determine whether any negligence or misconduct occurred, holding those responsible accountable.

    “This will provide a sense of closure and compensation to the victims, fostering trust between the military and the civilian population. 

    “Conducting a thorough investigation into the accidental bombing is essential to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

    “By analysing the circumstances that led to the tragedy, the investigation can identify any systemic failures, gaps in training, or inadequate protocols that may have contributed to the accident.

    “Armed with this knowledge, the military can implement necessary reforms, such as improved coordination, enhanced intelligence gathering, and stricter adherence to rules of engagement.

    “These measures will minimise the risk of accidental bombings and protect civilian lives during military operations.

    “An investigation aligns with the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law. These legal frameworks emphasise the protection of civilians during armed conflicts and require states to conduct impartial investigations into alleged violations.

    “NEF condoles the families of the affected civilians as well the Kaduna State government for the unfortunate and regrettable incident.”

  • MoD and the ‘bloody civilians’

    If there is one thing President Muhammadu Buhari’s  government has achieved, it is to debunk the notion that the Police are the most corrupt organ in Nigeria. It has been proven beyond doubt today that that prize is still up for grabs.

    The sin of the police is that they collect small, small change from poor motorists, thereby making themselves a public nuisance. Check out the ordeal of the so-called ‘bloody civilians’ who are Ministry of Defence staff.

    As you read this, an annual ritual for civilian teachers in Command Secondary Schools across the country is on  Abuja. It’s an annual jamboree called Promotion Interviews for senior teachers from grade level 13 and above teaching in military secondary schools across Nigeria.

    About 500 of these experienced and highly qualified (mainly Master’s Degree holders) teachers are in Abuja now for an exercise that is at best dubious if not fraudulent.

    Here is why: first, this fraud has been going on for nearly ten years with only a handful promoted; yet each year the same people who have been passing this interview for nearly a decade are invited and at the end of the day, they are told there is no vacancy.

    Second, this so-called interview brings about 500 of these hapless men and women from across the country to Abuja for about ten days. They are not given any travel allowance, no food, no water and no accommodation. Coming to Abuja on this annual pilgrimage of shame is totally at the expense of the poor candidates. But MoD is said to have a huge budget for this annual ritual.

    This explains why even though they claim there is no vacancy to promote, they stage this huge bazaar every year. If there are only a few vacancies, why not promote the backlog of successful candidates instead of organising this yearly extravaganza? This exploitative and humiliating exercise happens because these people are ‘bloody civilians’. Would a qualified military officer be denied promotion to next level for 8 – 10 years?

    These teachers who nurture the wards of military officers and men are also Nigerians and they deserve better treatment from the MoD; their counterparts in other ministries are already three to four levels ahead of them. If MoD won’t promote them, let it stop this corrupted annual ritual.

  • Still on soldiers’ ill-treatment of civilians

    SIR: Few days ago in Onitsha, two Nigerian soldiers chanced upon a man in wheelchair… and crippled him the more. A video recording of the encounter is on Youtube: The soldiers driving by sighted Chijioke Uraku, a physically-challenged man wearing a pair of camouflage trousers, and pulled over. They rushed him, threw away his wheelchair, pushed him to the ground and whipped him mercilessly. The man screamed and wept and rolled in the dust. And bestiality rejoiced over humanity.

    The assault of the soldiers on citizen Chijioke is a case of lynching. Yet, the brutalization of Chijioke was beyond lynching. It had the trappings of theatre. It was a gladiatorial mismatch in a public arena.

    Chijioke’s offence? He wore a pair of camouflage trousers. The self-appointed fashion police judged him guilty of coveting an exclusive outfit of the Nigerian Army. The ‘bloody civilian’ engaged in identity theft of sorts.

    Was the curious fashion sense of the man sufficient to incite the soldiers to instant madness? Was there anything outrageous about the camouflage that excited the animal in the soldiers to run wild? What was abominable about a civilian wearing a camouflage that drove the soldiers to shame their own uniform?

    Chalk up the abuse to military ego.

    The average Nigerian soldier considers himself a higher species higher. He believes the truth of his incomparability. He holds the civilian in contempt.

    The duel between the willing soldier and the reluctant civilian is one which the soldier is certain to win. It’s pointless. But it feeds the arrogance of the soldier to orchestrate an easy, one-sided cockfight. For some reason, lording it over the civilian is one of the strong cravings of the Nigerian soldier.

    Sometime last year, a video clip of part of the drill process of Nigerian Army recruits surfaced online. The treatment the kids were subjected to is impossible to conceive as professional tempering or soldierly hardening. Their sadist ‘trainers’ harassed, scourged and humiliated them like animals.

    This kind of inhumane socialization predisposes the abused soldier to function like an abuser under the ‘right’ circumstances. It primes the Nigerian solider to avenge his ugly ‘training’ on the body of the civilian. It’s the soldier’s protest against the past, a horrible transfer of aggression.

    Last year, a Nigerian soldier punctured the eye of a Nigerian civilian. The putative grievance of the soldier revolved around… camouflage! Someone wore a camo T-shirt. A soldier proceeded to ‘punish’ the civilian. A Good Samaritan intervened to plead for the brutalized citizen. The soldier turned on the peacemaker and gifted him artificial blindness!

    The intimidation of the civilian by the Nigerian soldier is an everyday reality. The Nigerian Army must sincerely accept this fact and permit that to form the impetus to work to change the dynamics of military-civilian relations.  About this time last year, a 25 year old Nigerian man complimented a female cadet and got brutalized by the lady and her male cadet colleagues… for his chivalry.

    Denialism will only help perpetuate the problem. The path to progress is for the Nigerian Army to get Nigerian soldiers to unlearn their habit of hostility to Nigerian civilians. The Nigerian soldier resents the civilian. The soldier has little or no respect for the civilian whose tax pays the soldier’s salary and buys him combat kit.

    Reorientation is a good way to begin to correct the situation. But the reorientation being proposed here does not mean talk shops structured to offer subliminal persuasion to the soldiers. It is something more drastic and organic. It is transitioning the institution of the Nigerian Army to the best traditions of soldiery. It is conforming the attitude of officers and men of the Nigerian Army to values of honour, valour and sacrifice. It is modelling an equable temperament as the hallmark of the Nigerian soldier.

     

    • Emmanuel Ugwu,

    immaugwu@gmail.com

  • NAF jet kills aid workers, civilians in Borno

    NAF jet kills aid workers, civilians in Borno

    A fighter jet belonging to the Nigeria Airforce has misfired against humanitarian aid workers in northern part of  Borno State.
    The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole Major Gen. Lucky Irabor at a brief press briefing said some of the humanitarian workers
    affected are from International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) and Medicine San Frontier( MSF).
    He also disclosed that several Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the air raid which took place around KalaBage area.
    “We got reports of a gathering of Boko Haram Terrorists at Kala/Balge this morning; and a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet conducted an
    aerial strike on the gatherings of insurgents. This resulted into killings of several terrorists and civilians, including some staff of MSF and ICRC.
    He said  “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,’’ the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole said on Tuesday in Maiduguri.
    The shots hit the Medicines Sans Frontiers and some civilians in Kala Balge in Borno state in northeast during an operation.
    “This morning, we received a report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around Kala Balge area of Maiduguri.
    “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 other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected, ’’ Maj. Irabor said.
    He also informed that the Theatre has dispatch some helicopters for an immediate rescue of the victims
    “We are sending helicopters to evacuate those that were critically wounded, including our wounded soldiers,” Irabor said.

    “Today’s military air strikes are a little bit disturbing. It is disturbing enough for me. I cannot give you the exact levels or number
    of casualties right now, as I address you on this unfortunate development at Kala/Balge.”

    He continued: “We have sent helicopters to immediately evacuate the wounded soldiers and civilians to Maiduguri for treatment.

    “It is unfortunate and that is the reason why the war must come to an end; because the cost is certainly not good enough for everyone.
    The Theatre Commander however noted that  it will be too premature to describe the incident as tactical error, stressing that “as far as the
    issue of local casualties are concerned, the military could not have deliberately target a civilian population. But  the issue would be investigated to ascertain what went wrong,” he said.

  • Borno unfolds post insurgency plans for Civilian JTF

    The Borno Government said on Monday that it had produced a blue print for full engagement of an estimated 20, 000 local vigilantes, called the Civilian JTF, after the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Alhaji Kakashehu Lawan, the Commissioner of Justice stated this while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri.

    Lawan was reacting to fears expressed by residents of the state that the unemployed vigilantes may become another security threat during post insurgency era.

    “His Excellency, Gov. Kashim Shettima has developed a blue print for the post Boko Haram insurgency era in the state.

    “One of the agenda on the blue print is youth integration, which encapsulates all youths in the state including members of the civilian JTF,” he said.

    Lawan said that the blue print made provision for the creation of a youth empowerment agency to cater for the members of the civilian JTF.

    “Already, a law has been passed by the Borno House of Assembly known as Youth Vigilante Empowerment Agency Law 2015, to cater for job creation particularly targeting members of the group.

    “The agency is expected to engage members of the group by providing different kinds of jobs for them,” he said.

    Lawan added that the state government had also made contact with the Nigerian Army authorities to enlist those qualified into the service.

    “What we have done as a government is to liaise with the Nigerian Army high command to have a large chunk of them recruited into the army,” he said.

    Lawan said that government also planned to recruit some of them as fire fighters in the state.

    “We are also working on plans to recruit between 500 and 1, 000 of them as fire fighters in the state department of fire service.

    “We also have plans to engage about 500 of them as Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO),” he said.

    Lawan said that those who possessed higher educational qualification will be absorbed into the state civil service.

    “Those who are graduates and National Certificate In Education (NCE) Certificate holders will be absorbed into the State Civil Service,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Civilian JTF which emerged in 2013 had helped greatly in developing effective community policing and enhancing the fight against Boko Haram in the state.

     

  • IGP to police officers: Shoot civilian, go to jail

    IGP to police officers: Shoot civilian, go to jail

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, on Thursday, warned police officers to exercise high sense of caution in handling guns while dealing with unarmed civilians.

    Arase gave the warning in Abeokuta while addressing policemen at the state police headquarters in Eleweeran.

    He warned that any policeman who shoots an unarmed member of the public would be jailed.

    “Shoot a civilian, go to jail,’’ he warned and directed that any police officer who engaged in indiscriminate shooting should be arraigned within 24 hours of his arrest.

    Arase also warned police commissioners not to send officers with psychological challenges on assignments.

    The IGP warned police officers particularly those in convoy to stop using horse whips on members of the public, saying, “Nigerians are not animals.”

    He announced that the Police authorities had concluded plans to construct 25,000 post retirement housing estates for its officers across the country.

    He directed the state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali to look for suitable titled landed property where such estate could be built in the state.

    He said that 36, 000 officers had benefited from promotional courses during his tenure as the IGP, adding that those with additional qualifications were being considered.

    He reiterated his determination to improve the welfare of men and officers of the force.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the state CP requested the Police authorities to set up six additional area commands in the state.

    Ali also requested for additional manpower to enable the command check the increasing security challenges in the state.

  • Boko Haram releases video of sect killing civilians in a dormitory

    Boko Haram at the weekend released a video showing gunmen mowing down civilians lying face down in a dormitory, and a leader saying they are being killed because they are “infidels” or non-believers.

    There are so many bodies the gunmen have difficulty stepping to reach bodies still twitching with life. Most appear to be adult men.

    “We have made sure the floor of this hall is turned red with blood, and this is how it is going to be in all future attacks and arrests of infidels,” the group leader says in a message. “From now, killing, slaughtering, destructions and bombing will be our religious duty anywhere we invade.”

    The video was released on Saturday, two days after fleeing villagers reported that the extremists are rounding up elderly people and killing them in two schools in Gwoza, in northeast Nigeria.

    The setting of the latest video appears to be a school, a long dormitory furnished with bunk beds which the leader says is in Bama, a town 40 miles north of Gwoza. Students and schools are frequently targeted by Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful” in the Hausa language.

    Previously, the militants had told residents of villages and towns that they would kill only enemies and wanted people to live peacefully in the area they have dubbed an Islamic caliphate, a large swath along Nigeria’s northeastern border with Cameroon that they have controlled for more than three months.

    In the video, the leader notes that the prophet Mohammed advised prisoners should be held, not killed, but says “we felt this is not the right time for us to keep prisoners; that is why we will continue to see that the grounds are crimsoned with the flowing blood of prisoners”.

    He says some of those killed may call themselves Muslims, but are considered infidels by Boko Haram, a Sunni Jihadi group that imposes strict Shariah law.

    Thousands of people have been killed and about 1.6 million driven from their homes in the five-year insurgency that is spilling across borders into Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

    Last week, extremists killed 35 people and kidnapped at least 185, fleeing residents said Thursday of an attack near the town where nearly 300 schoolgirls were taken hostage in April.

    Last month, an official in Chibok said the extremists forced thousands of residents to flee the town.

    The attack on Gumburi happened one week ago, said a security official and a local government officer, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press. The news took days to emerge because the militants have destroyed communications towers in the area.

    Gumburi is 12 miles from Chibok, the northeastern town where extremists kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in April. Dozens of the students escaped but 219 remain missing.

  • ‘Rwandan military intelligence tortured civilians’

    ‘Rwandan military intelligence tortured civilians’

    Amnesty International on Monday accused Rwandan military intelligence services of engaging in torture, unlawful detention and enforced disappearances of civilians.

    The human rights group said in a report members of a Rwandan military intelligence department, known as J2, had tortured civilians with electric shocks, beatings and sensory deprivation to force confessions.

    J2 also held civilians in military detention without charge or trial for months on end, Amnesty said.

    Rwanda’s Ministry of Justice said on Sunday that while some illegal detentions had taken place, these abuses were handled by the courts.

    “These occurred as a result of over-exuberance on the part of individuals within the security services and were dealt with through the courts which immediately put in place corrective measures,” Reuters quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

    Rwanda did not directly address the allegations of torture detailed in Amnesty’s report, but the ministry said reports of torture are “investigated through established channels and are treated with the utmost seriousness.”

    Last month a report by Human Rights Watch said Rwanda has been supporting a rebellion in neighbouring Congo, where the M23 rebels have committed widespread war crimes, including dozens of rapes and killings.

    Rwanda has repeatedly denied involvement with M23 but many Western donors have suspended aid after a United Nations report concluded Rwandan officials were supplying the rebels with weapons and logistics.