Just in: Nigerian Military denies killing 20 fishermen in Borno airstrike

• The Nigerian Military has said that no fisherman was killed in an airstrike operation in Dabar Masara, Borno state
• Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko, the acting director, Defence Media Operation, made the clarifications on Thursday, September 30, in a statement
• According to him, no villagers in the Monguno local government area of Borno state was killed during the operation

FCT, Abuja - The authorities of the Nigerian Military have denied killing 20 residents in recent counter-insurgency operations in Dabar Masara, a border town in the Monguno local government area of Borno state.

Some villagers had alleged that the airstrike by the military killed no fewer than 20 residents in the area on September 26, 2021.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement on Thursday, September 30, by the acting director, Defence Media Operation, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko and seen by Legit.ng, the military said the operations carried out at the said period were thoroughly done, insisting that no villagers were killed.

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The statement was titled, ‘Re-Air strikes killed 20 fishermen in Borno state.’

It read:

“The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to media reports making the rounds in the social media alleging that; the air component of Operation Hadin Kai on Sunday, September 26, 2021, killed 20 fishermen in airstrikes at Kwatan Daban Masara general area in the fringes of the Lake Chad. It is therefore important to make clarifications regarding the air interdiction mission conducted in the general area.

“For the records, it is pertinent to state that the air component of Operation Hadin Kai on September 26, 2021, acting on credible actionable intelligence on the activities of terrorists in an identified ISWAP Camp at the said location, conducted airstrikes on the target.

“This was after careful Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions revealed the activities of ISWAP elements in the location. Consequently, the intelligence gathered was processed and carefully analysed between the period of 19 August and 23 September 2021."

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The Nigerian Military, however, stated that necessary steps were taken to ensure that the presence of the terrorists was ascertained and the strike was precise and professionally executed.

Military restates commitment to end Boko Haram, banditry in Nigeria

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Nigerian Armed Force assured the people of the country that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents and bandits would soon be a thing of the past.

It was reported that the assurance was given on Wednesday, September 29, by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, at an Open Ears Press Dialogue 2, organised via zoom.

Irabor said the military would not rest on its oars, saying that they need to engage other stakeholders to end the insurgency in the country.

Source: Legit.ng