UPDATED: TRAGEDY OF ERROR: OVER 100 INNOCENT SOULS MISTAKENLY KILLED AS BOKO HARAM

A NAF jet has reportedly bombed Borno IDP camp, killing not less than 100 innocent Nigerians according to The Punch.

The latest and if not the worst tragic incident resulting from the fight against Boko Haram  is said to have occurred on Tuesday 17th of January as a NAF fighter jet embarked on a counter- insurgency operation in the North- East and erroneously killed over 100 innocent people including aid workers , soldiers and displaced persons after firing at them.

Some of the victims of the tragedy were officials of Doctors Without Borders ( Medecins Sans Frontieres ) , International Committee of the Red Cross and some refugees .

A statement issued by the Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday while reacting to the ugly incident, claimed that investigation into the erroneous air strike has begun immediately. “ We are saddened by today’ s accidental air strike by our fighter jet at Rann , in which innocent lives were lost. While available information is still sketchy , the loss occasioned by this unfortunate incident is deeply regretted" said Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa who is the present Director of information and public relation of NAF.

As Ayodele further stated “We commiserate with the affected families and would update the public as soon as detailed facts emerge from the investigation . ”

In confirming the  accidental air strike, an eye witness, identified as Abba Abiso , narrated the experience to AFP thus, “ This morning, a military jet mistakenly bombarded Rann , instead of ( nearby ) Kala"

“ In recent weeks, Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and obviously , a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded it, killing many civilians .

“ At least 25 were killed and many more injured ” Abisa stated.

It was learnt that the incident took place 9 am on Tuesday as officials of the IDP were going about their normal civic duties.

According to The MSF, their men were readily on ground to salvage the emergency. “MSF teams have seen 120 wounded and 50 dead following the bombing. Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients . We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event , ” said  MSF team.

An anonymous official statement from the Borno State Government  also reads, "100 people had been killed". Also,  Maj . Gen . Lucky Irabor , the  head of the military operation against the militants, reacted to the incident in this manner,

“ This morning, we received a report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around the Kala Balge area of Maiduguri , ” he told reporters at a briefing in Maiduguri on Tuesday.

“ I coordinated and I directed that the air component of the operation should go and address the problem.

“ Unfortunately , the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals , somewhere in Rann , were affected.

“ So far , it is a little bit disturbing ; death has occurred. There are casualties ; there were deaths and injuries but on the actual number of casualties , we would get back to you later .

“ I am yet to get the number of casualties of civilians killed, but two soldiers were also affected .

“ Some humanitarian staff of Medicines Sans Frontiers and some staff of International Committee of Red Cross were also affected.

“ We are sending helicopters to evacuate those that were critically wounded , including our wounded soldiers.