Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State , has condemned the killing of no fewer than 185 civilians in the border town of Baga in Borno State during a shootout between the Joint Task Force and suspected members of dreaded sect, Boko Haram.
Orji Kalu said that despite the claim by the Defence Headquarters that it was yet to get the civilian casualty figure, it had become obvious from reports from the Red Cross, the
media and the villagers in Baga that the death toll was high.
In a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser, Oyekunle Oyewumi, Kalu said the Joint Task Force should be held liable for such high civilian casualty rate in a village of a few thousand people.
He said: “If indeed the officers and men of the JTF had played by their rules of engagement, there should not have been such high number of deaths in a small village such as Baga.
“I wonder who was the military commander that gave the order for civilians to be shot at even if suspected terrorists were using them as human shield.
“This is sheer mindlessness.”
Kalu also called for the review of the operations of the JTF.
He said: “Now, it is very obvious that the Presidency has to review the activities of the JTF as some prominent and no so prominent Nigerians have demanded over time.
“We cannot continue to have such high civilian casualty rates capable of inciting more violence.
“It is not just enough to find out what transpired between Friday night and Saturday morning that led to the deaths but also to take another look at the entire operations of the JTF as several Nigerians have demanded.”
Kalu commiserated with those who have lost loved ones.
He also appealed to them not to take the laws into their own hands but wait for the government to mete out punishment to anyone found culpable.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed in the shootout.
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