The number of people killed in the the Nigerian military accidental bombing of the camp of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Rann, Kala Balge area of Borno State has risen to 70, aid groups said on Wednesday, with at least a dozen of them humanitarian workers.
The military mistook the camp for fleeing Boko Haram terrorists. The military has admitted the mistake, apologizing for the “accidental” bombing. President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness and regret over the unfortunate incident. He sent a delegation on condolence visit to Maiduguri today.
According to Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, the delegation was headed by Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, with service chiefs, Minister of Information Lai Mohammed and Minister of Defence, Retired Brig. Mansur Dan-Ali as members of the team.
The president also wished those wounded during the incident divine succour, leading to full recovery. He pledged Federal Government help for the state government in attending to “this regrettable operational mistake.” Buhari, who pleaded for calm, prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead.
The Nigeria Air Force has also expressed regret over the incident but Human Rights Watch has said this does not absolve them of responsibility, calling for compensation for the victims.
Mausi Segun, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch in Nigeria said: “Even if there is no evidence of a willful attack on the camp, which would be a war crime, the camp was bombed indiscriminately, violating international humanitarian law.
“Victims should not be denied redress merely because the government decided the bombing was accidental.”
The Nigerian military has been accused severally of human rights violations in its war against insurgency
