THREE days after an alleged airforce jet bombed and killed over 37 Fulani herders in Nasarawa, the military are yet to offer any kind of explanation for the unfortunate strike.
All efforts to reach the Airforce for a comment by this newspaper were abortive as numerous text messages were not replied.
Musa Danmadami, director of defence media operations, however, said on Thursday that the army’s counter-insurgency operations are professionally conducted.
“Like I said earlier on, operations are being carried out across the length and breadth of this nation. It is not only in Nasarawa state, Niger state or Benue state that we are conducting operations,” he said.
“So, we are not going to dwell more on these incidences or whatever is being reported by the press but what I can tell you like I have been telling you before, the armed forces of Nigeria, we are very professional about the way we are carrying out our counter-insurgency operations across the country.
“Our code of conduct is clear, our rules of engagement are clear and our targeting procedures are clear.
“Majority of our operations are intelligent driven and all these our code of conducts, targeting procedures and rules of engagement are in tandem with international best practices and I assure you we will continue to conduct our operations in line with these procedures, regardless of what people are saying.”
News Point Nigeria reports that, no fewer than 27 Fulanis have been killed after a bomb exploded at the border linking Nasarawa and Benue states in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ramhan Nansel, made the disclosure to our correspondent in Lafia on Wednesday.
He narrated that the sad incident occured in the Rukubi community of Doma LGA.
He, however, said the state police command was working in collaboration with sister security agencies and the state government to unravel the circumstances that led to the bombing, and arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
He said, “It is unfortunate that such a thing happened. Twenty-seven of the herdsmen were killed after a bomb exploded in Doma LGA. The police and other security agencies are working round the clock to understand what led to the attack and track down those involved in the act.
PRNigeria reported on Wednesday that state government officials gave the military the wrong location for the airstrike, leading to the incident.