President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with families of those who died in the accidental bombing of a civilian community in Rann, Borno State.
A Presidency statement said the President received with deep sadness and regret, the error committed by some troops of the Nigerian Air Force who engaged in the final phase of mopping up operations against insurgents in the northeast.
Regrettable Operational Mistake
He also wished the wounded divine succour that would lead to full recovery and sympathised with the Borno State government.
President Buhari pledged the Federal Government’s support to the state government in attending to “this regrettable operational mistake,” and pleaded for calm.
In the statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, the President prayed that God would grant repose to the souls of the dead.
The accidental bombing had occurred earlier on Tuesday.
The spokesman for the military, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, who confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Tuesday, admitted that it was an error deeply regretted by the military.
He, however, said that the incident did not occur in an Internally Displaced Persons’ camp as being reported in some quarters, but a settlement said to be occupied by civilians.
General Abubakar explained that soldiers got information of movement of Boko Haram members and deployed ground troops and air cover to tackle the terrorists before the unfortunate occurrence took place.
