The Nigerian Air Force has reportedly shot itself in the foot, after one of its fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram insurgents in Mainok, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, recklessly bombed ground troops on Sunday, killing over 20 officers.
According to military sources, the Air Force jet was said to have bombed an armoured tank conveying the soldiers, killing many in the process.
The bombed soldiers were reinforced from Ngandu village and were on their way to Mainok, a town that has been under attack by terrorists from the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has said it is investigating the report. In a statement released on its twitter handle, @NigAirForce, it said it has received the visuals of the report and is currently considering an investigation.
“The attention of the @NigAirForce has been drawn to reports alleging “How NAF killed over 20 Nigerian Army Personnel by Accident in Air Strike” at Mainok which is about 55km to Maiduguri.
“The NAF wishes to state that visuals and reports being circulated are currently being investigated and the general public will be duly updated on the alleged incident.
“All inquiries should please be directed to the Office of the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force or forwarded to info@airforce.mil.ng,” NAF stated.
This is however not the first time that a NAF jet would misfire and inflict fatality on civilians.
On January 17, 2017, a NAF jet mistakenly bombed an Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camp near the Cameroonian border in Rann, Borno State. They had believed it was a Boko Haram encampment. The bombing left at least 115 people dead, including six Red Cross aid workers, and left more than 100 injured.
