BY ANDREW OROLUA
After one year of silence and denial, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar at the weekend admitted that air strikes near Rukubi community in Doma local government area of Nasarawa that killed civilians were a tactical mistake.
He said the bombing which took place on January 23, 2023 was not deliberate and he apologised for the vital error .
Herders returning from nearby Benue State with hundreds of cows they bailed out from officials enforcing anti-open grazing law, were attacked in air strikes. Local officials said no fewer than 40 persons were killed and scores of others wounded in the incident.
Government officials and NAF authorities has initially denied the incident even as locals insisted that a military jet carried out the attack.
Their claims about the painful incident had turned out to be the true position as the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar confirmed the airstrikes as accidental, and appealed to the state government to forgive the force.
He said NAF acted on intelligence report to the effect that terrorists were sighted on motorcycles in a location around the Rukubi community but the operation turned out to be a disaster.
“It is no news that the general area (Rukubi) at that time had been well known for its insecurity occasioned by kidnapping and terrorism. Within the period, you would recall that six primary school pupils were also kidnapped in the Doma local government area.
“This necessitated the surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force within the period. Unfortunately, the airstrikes killed some civilians at the location.
“The unfortunate incident of January 2023 was in no way deliberate as no military the world over will intentionally kill those it is mandated to protect.
“Therefore, our visit to you is to solicit your kind intervention in interfacing with the representatives of the victims of the accidental air strikes at Rukubi,” he said.
He said there was urgent need to reach out to families of those affected by the strikes to calm nerves and bring the matter to a close.
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Marshal Abubakar further solicited the support of the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule in interfacing with the representatives of the victims. This, he said, will assist in answering some important questions, promote accountability, transparency and allow the NAF to learn valuable lessons to mitigate similar incidents, going forward.
He further expressed regrets over the incident and noted that the unfortunate incident was not deliberate and that NAF had targeted suspected terrorists and cattle rustlers in view of the heightened level of insecurity in the area at the time.
Air Marshal Abubakar told the families and victims that the current interface reflects NAF’s commitment to conflict resolution and reconciliation and a step towards addressing grievances, fostering understanding as well as rebuilding trust between the NAF and the civilian population.
According to the CAS, “Our efforts to mitigate civilian casualties as well as take responsibility in the event of accidental strikes are not just a reflection of our values as a Service, but also strategically imperative to our operations.”
He promised to collaborate with the state government in tackling insecurity in the state.
In his response, Governor Sule commended the Nigerian Air Force for owning up to its mistake and reaching out to families of the victims.
Governor Sule recalled that he did not know how to handle the matter at the time of the incident, “When the incident happened, I did not know how to handle it. I had to invite the Miyetti Allah leadership to come in and help me calm them.
“One of them who was about 80 years old made me shed tears because he said he lost his nine children and about 80 cows in the airstrike. They all perished.
“He looked at me and said, I have nothing anymore here on earth. I do not have children or cows, what do you want me to do Mr. Governor? I looked at him and encouraged him to be patient, reminding him that he came to this world alone without any of those things and he would go back to Almighty Allah one day without any of those things. That was how he stopped crying and became calm on the matter.
“So, your coming at this time is perfect and I welcome you to Nasarawa State. We will continue to support you so that at the end of the day, you can continue to provide the services of protecting the lives of the people,” he said.
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