The Nigerian Airforce (NAF) says it bombed the 39 Fulani herders in Doma Local Government of Nasarawa State following intel from “reliable sources.”
NAF, on January 24, shelled the herders who were offloading their cattle Kwatiri in Doma LGA. The cattle were seized by officials of Benue State Livestock Guards, enforcing the Benue State Anti-Open Grazing Law. The officials seized over 1,000 cows from the nomadic herders who were grazing cattle in Naka, a Benue suburb bordering Nasarawa State. They were, however, fined N27 million for crossing into Benue State, Human Rights Watch.
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Six months after, the rights group said the victims of the airstrike had not been compensated. It added that the Nigerian Air Force took responsibility for the killings.
“The military’s unacceptable delay in owning up to the killing and injuring dozens of civilians only compounds the tragedy of this shocking attack,” said Anietie Ewang, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Nigerian military should provide full accountability for their actions as well as financial compensation and livelihood assistance commensurate with the needs of the victims and their families.”
AIR FORCE MADE U-TURN
Yesterday, the Nigerian Air Force, though accepting it carried out the bombing, said those killed were terrorists.
The Spokesperson of NAF, Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa, who spoke at the defence headquarters mentioned that the surveillance was carried out for days before the terrorists were killed insisting that no innocent person was killed in the incident.
“On the 24th of January, even before then, there had been intel from several reliable sources of the activities of terrorists in that particular area. You are all aware of the nefarious activities of the criminal elements in that part of the country,” he said.
He stated that those killed were trying to cause a breach of law and order in the area by kidnapping secondary school children in the location before their elimination.
He added: “You are also aware that there is an ongoing operation — Operation Whirl Stroke and the intel from several sources and even to the commander of that operation, to the air component, that there was a plan by the terrorists within that area to carry out massive attacks.
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“There was a secondary school in question that also planned to kidnap students too. To that extent, the Air Force carried out surveillance. Remember there had been several intel that built up to that. But this particular intel, there was surveillance and the surveillance confirmed terrorists. I mean terrorists!”
While speaking to newsmen, Famuyiwa challenged challenged Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and others who claimed innocent herders were killed to come out with pictorial evidence of the killing.
Speaking with stated house correspondents after his visit to President Bola Tinubu, the former Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido, mentioned that he had visited the president in regards to the killing of herdsmen in Nasarawa State. He emphasised that “they would want the matter swept under the carpet.”
