Air force: Why we didn’t bomb Boko Haram at Garkida

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it could not open fire during the Boko Haram attack in Garkida, a town in Gombi local government area of Adamawa state, in order not to kill innocent people. 

Residents of the community had accused the air force of not attacking the insurgents when they struck in the town last week.

But reacting, Ibikunle Daramola, spokesman of the force, said the claim of not firing at anyone requires detailed explanation. 

He said the force cannot be accused of negligence when it responded to the calls for air support by dispatching its aircraft to the location. 

“Close air support, by definition, requires detailed coordination between the aircraft and the forces or individuals being supported,” he said. 

“Hence, 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). 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 said the force will continue to work in synergy with sister services and other security agencies, to rid the country of “terrorists and all criminal elements” in order to enable citizens pursue their legitimate aspirations. 

On Sunday, the air force had said  it neutralised some key leaders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) at Jubillaram and Alinwa in Borno state.

In 2017, 126 civilians were killed in Rann, Borno state, in an accidental air strike by the military.