The mistaken air strike on an internally displaced persons camp in Borno State on Tuesday, which killed over 100 people, raises critical questions for the military and the government. The raid had been ordered as part of the military operation against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east.
And the original target was said to be a suspected gathering of Boko Haram terrorists.
But the bomb hit the IDPs camps in Rann, headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area, killing and wounding civilians, soldiers, staff of the International Committee of Red Cross and Medicine San Frontiers (Doctors without Borders), and other humanitarian organisations.
The question is, did the authorities not know about the existence and location of the Rann IDPs camp? Did the pilot receive proper coordinates for his target? Did those who provided the coordinates satisfactorily check and crosscheck them to try to prevent error, considering the existence of a IDPs camp with thousands of people? And do the authorities have a record of all the IDPs camps in the North-east?
These are questions begging for answers.
– Vincent Obia
