From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for the redeployment of the General Officer Commanding ( GOC), one Division, Nigeria Army, Kaduna, Major General Valentine Okoro over the bombing of Tudun Biri community erroneously by Army drone.
ACF also called on the Defence Headquarters to retract what it called offensive statements against the embattled community soon after the bombing.
A statement on Thursday by the ACF spokesman, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba noted that Nigerian Army should not be allowed to investigate itself, adding that an independent panel of investigators should take charge of the investigation.
The Forum also demanded the results of the investigations must be made public.
The statement equally faulted the Defence Headquarters on claims that
the military could deploy an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) without proper ground assessment.
“The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of One Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, along with his immediate subordinate officers should be redeployed to allow for unfettered investigations.
“As a trite principle of justice, One Division of the Nigerian Army must not and should not be allowed to investigate itself. An independent panel of investigators is clearly indicated.
‘Further, the results of the investigations must be made public, issues that border on national security considerations excepted.
“The Defence Headquarters asserted that the community ought to have informed the military about its activities, an assertion tantamount to a classic blame-the-victim strategy and typical gaslighting of the victims of the incident.
“On the contrary, the usual practice is for communities to be informed about impending military operations.; and while it is entirely plausible that terrorists often disguise as civilians and entrench themselves in civilian population, the Tudun Biri gathering was clearly that of innocent civilian citizens, and as obvious from photos of the before-and-after the incident.
“The Defence Headquarters should retract its needless statement.
The Ministry of Defence, and the Armed Forces in particular, should take steps to ensure that such incidents are avoided or contained to the barest minimum humanly possible.
“The Federal Government must take responsibility for full compensation to all victims of Tudun Biri. The gesture should also be extended to victims from all previous such incidents.
“While ACF recognizes and unequivocally supports the resolve and sacrifices of the nation’s armed forces to totally exterminate banditry and terrorism in the nation. However, the Armed forces should always remember that they must remain accountable for their actions,” the statement said.