The Armed Forces of Nigeria, has reacted to reports that the air strikes conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole at Shokotoko village in Damboa local government area of Borno, on Thursday led to the death of some civilians.
A statement by Maj.-Gen John Enenche, Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations on Tuesday, said “the operation, which was conducted on the night of 9 April and early hours of 10 April 2020, was based on credible intelligence reports, obtained from land forces and other security agencies as well as reliable, vetted informants, which confirmed that the target location was occupied solely by Boko Haram Terrorists.
“Moreover, as customary, the attack helicopter that executed the mission was accompanied by an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, to ensure proper targeting for avoidance of collateral damage,” the statement read.
Enenche emphasized that going by rules of engagement, the military doesn’t not attack locations where there are expected presence of civilians.
“Besides, it must be noted that, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots, by training and in line with extant Rules of Engagement (ROEs) for the operation, do not attack any location if it is observed that non-combatants, especially women and children, are present.
“In such cases, the pilots would rather return to Base with their munitions unexpended. Consequently, on the strength of the foregoing, the location was considered a legitimate target,” he stated.
The coordinator further stated that the military had set up an investigation panel to unravel the authenticity of the report.
“Nevertheless, to allay public concerns occasioned by the aforementioned media reports, an investigation is being carried out and subsequent actions will be taken in line with extant regulations and best practices, while remaining accountable to the Nigerian people.
“We wish to reassure the general public that the AFN, in keeping with its professional responsibility, will continue to work assiduously to rid the North East of all terrorist elements with a view to facilitating a return to normalcy that would enable Nigerians in the area pursue their legitimate aspirations,” the statement further read.
