Femi Falana gives FG two-week ultimatum to compensate victims of military airstrike mishaps

A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has given a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to compensate victims of military airstrikes in the past seven years or face legal action.

The senior lawyer gave this warning in a statement on Sunday, adding that the government will be sued before a Federal High Court if the demand is not met.

Recall that over 300 civilians, including children and women, have died in accidental bombings by the Nigerian military in the past few years.

There was an erroneous drone bombing in Tudun Biri, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State last week, leading to an outcry across the country.

At least 120 innocent residents who were celebrating an Islamic festival were killed in the deadly attack.

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And following the sad incident, all the 109 senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria donated their December salaries to the victims of the bombing.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, made the announcement on Sunday at the Kaduna State Government House when he led a high-power delegation of the Senate to the state.

Reacting to the incident, Falana, who is the chairman of Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), said there has been no justice for victims of these bombings across the years.

Falana said after the Rann bombing of January 2017, the government set up a commission “mandated to review extant rules of engagement applicable in the armed forces of Nigeria as well as the extent of compliance with the rules. Part of the mandate of the commission was to also prefer means of preventing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law”.

The senior lawyer wondered why the FG had neither published the report nor implemented the recommendations of the commission headed by Justice Biobell Georgewill of the court of appeal.