Some residents of
Garkida, Adamawa state and Korongilum, Borno state, have alleged that Nigerian
air force (NAF) fighter jets refused to open fire on suspected Boko Haram
insurgents when they attacked their communities.
Last Tuesday, the
insurgents attacked Koriongilum burning many houses, and three days later, they
attacked Garkida killing many people.
Some residents who
spoke with TheCable at the weekend said NAF authorities were informed on time
about the attacks but that they did not know why the insurgents were allowed to
have their way while air force fighter jets hovered above them.
“We spotted the
insurgents hours before they came into Korongilum, and immediately, we informed
the nearest army battalion which is in Chibok,” one of the residents said.
“It appeared that
the army would need help and they called the air force for air support. The
insurgents were already in town, and when we saw air force jets we were happy.
The insurgents carried on with the attacks and didn’t leave until after three
hours. While they were at it, air force jets just kept hovering and not a shot
was fired.
“The insurgents,
right there under the hovering guns of the air force drove out
unchallenged in a convoy of about 17
trucks.”
The residents of
Garkida also accused air force of doing nothing to stop the insurgents when
they attacked them.
“While we ran to
hide inside the rocks, we saw air force jets coming and we started monitoring
them,” one of the residents said.
“Air support is
meant to come from Yola, and indeed they came on time, but we did not hear them
fire or bomb the insurgents. The insurgents came in large numbers and they were
operating in the open when NAF could clearly see them and engage.”
Another resident
said: “At a point, we started asking ourselves if the jets were those of the
air force or the insurgents, because how could the insurgents operate that
freely? Are we saying the air force couldn’t see them moving in their large
numbers? Please, we need help. We need to understand what’s happening.”
A senior army
officer, who does not want to be named, said the fight would have been easy for
the troops on the ground with the support of air force.
The officer said
they provided enough information for air force to engage the insurgents, but that
they claimed no targets were on sight.
“The approach to
this fight is intelligence driven, and the air force actually stands the bigger
chance to crush the enemies,” he said on Monday.
“During the attack
in Garkida, the air force came. The army troops on the ground had shared
intelligence on the exact location of the enemies, but we were shocked when the
air force said they did not see anything.
“Even if they had
shed just once, trust me, the enemies would have fled. I don’t really
understand if the army is fighting a different war from what the air force is.”
The officer also
said the air support was needed because the insurgents, with many gun trucks,
outnumbered soldiers on the ground who had just one gun truck.
FEAR OF MISFIRING,
LIKE IN RANN?
When contacted,
Ibikunle Daramola, NAF spokesperson,disclosed they could not engage the
insurgents because the situation in Garkida was chaotic, and that they took the
measure so they would not hit civilians.
In 2017, 126
civilians were killed in Rann, Borno state, in an accidental air strike by the
military.
“There must be
communication between the aircraft, which is thousands of feet in the air, and
the ground elements so as to avoid collateral damage or attacking one’s own
troops (fratricide),” Daramola said.
“As you may have
come to know, the situation on the ground in Garkida on 21 February 2020 was
extremely chaotic with significant movement in the general area that were
indistinguishable from the air. The situation was worsened by the fact that the
attack mostly took place at night. In such situations, the rules of engagement,
as internationally known, is not to attack unless it is clear that no civilians
are in harm’s way. The essence is to avoid the inadvertent killing of the
people that the aircraft were dispatched to protect.
“It must be noted
that the NAF ISR and attack aircraft remained airborne to provide support while
seeking to de-conflict targets before engaging them; this was done outside the
vicinity of the town in order to avoid killing any innocent civilians.
“Furthermore, as a
follow-up, the Air Task Force of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, on 22/23 February 2020,
carried out air strikes against terrorists’ hideouts at Parisu in the Sambisa
general area of Borno state, where the Boko Haram elements that attacked
Garkida were said to have originated. The battle damage assessment video of the
attacks will be released, once declassified.”
Daramola added that
NAF remains resolute in performing its function and that it shall continue to
work in synergy with other security agencies to rid the country of insurgents.
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