The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said it would investigate its personnel accused of misconduct in a video and some pictures circulating on some social media and online platforms.
The videos shows some military personnel flogging suspected armed bandits at Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA) in Zamfara State.
In a release by Airforce spokesman Ibikule Daramola, he stated that the joint team had, sequel to intelligence reports, intercepted a group of suspected armed bandits, including some fighters from across the border, at their Sububu Forest hideout whilst they were on the verge of executing an attack against innocent civilians in Shinkafi. In the process.
The team he said recovered one AK-47 rifle along with 3 loaded magazines and 3 dane guns from the bandits, however in an effort to obtain further information on the criminals’ plans and the location of their armoury, the troops employed unauthorized, crude corporal methods.
The Airforce spokesman decried the action of the team describing it as “totally unacceptable and not in consonance with the Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) guiding the conduct of the operation”
“Our personnel have always been directed to respect the rights of innocent civilians as well as captured combatants, no matter the provocation” he said.
He said that a Board of Inquiry (BOI) has been set up by the Headquarters Special Operations Command (HQ SOC) to determine the remote and immediate causes of the incident. This he said was to ensuring that appropriate disciplinary action is taken against all NAF personnel found culpable.
