THE Nasarawa State Police Command has said it is yet to identify those responsible for the airstrike that claimed several lives at the Nasarawa-Benue border.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Command Ramhan Nansel disclosed this to The ICIR on Thursday, January 26, adding that investigations into the attack were ongoing.
“I can confirm that there was an airstrike at Kwateri village, Nasarawa/Benue border. Twenty-seven corpses were recovered. Security have been deployed to the area and investigation has since commenced. We are yet to know who carried out the airstrike,” he said.
The deceased were returning from Makurdi, where they had gone to retrieve their cattle seized by the Benue Livestock Guards, at the time of the incident.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) quoted a higher figure of casualties in a statement by its National PRO, Muhammad Nura.
According to MACBAN, more than 30 herdsmen died in the incident.
Noting that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) was responsible for two previous airstrikes against the herdsmen, the association demanded an investigation into the incident, and necessary punishment for those found culpable.
The association also blamed the airstrike on the Nigerian Air Force.
“This is the third time we have experienced such happenings. In the last two happenings it was clear that the Air Force is involved in strafing livestock between the border of Benue and Nasarawa states within the last one year.
“But in the recent one it is not clear whether it was a bomb blast, distant attack or an airstrike as reported by our Nasarawa State Branch,” the association said in the statement.
The ICIR reached out to the Nigerian Air Force to confirm if the strike was carried out by its operatives.
However, calls and text messages to the spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force Edward Gabkwet were not replied as of the time of filing this report.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.