Our correspondent learnt that the
Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa, would show the images
in a public ceremony in an attempt to counter the claim of a human
right organisation.
The Human Rights Watch had on Wednesday
denounced military’s claim that the fires that razed thousands of
buildings in Baga, Borno State, were caused by rocket-propelled grenades
fired by members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
It was learnt that the planned public presentation of satellite images by Ewa is to counter the claim of the human right group.
HRW, in a statement on its website, had
said that satellite images showed that soldiers might have set the
fires, claiming that a total of 2,275 buildings were razed while 125
others were severely damaged.
President Goodluck Jonathan had recently
directed the Defence Headquarters and the National Emergency Management
Agency to investigate the incident. Both organisations submitted their
preliminary reports to the President last week.
According to a statement by the Special
Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Dr. Reuben Abati, DHQ’s
findings showed that 30 terrorists were killed during the crisis. It
also said that six bodies were recovered in Lake Chad about three
kilometres away from the action spot.
In its report, NEMA stated that a number
of buildings and business premises were destroyed in Baga. It claimed
that the total number of houses in the community was far less than
1,000.
But the HRW, in the statement by its
Africa Director, Daniel Bekele, said that the area damaged by fires
measured about 80,000 sq2.
Stating that the fires were detected by
the MODIS sensor aboard NASA satellites, Aqua and Terra, the rights
organisation said its findings corroborated claims by the residents that
2,000 houses and 183 bodies were burnt during the mayhem.
In a telephone interview with our
correspondent, spokesman for the National Space Research Development
Agency, Mr. Felix Ale, confirmed that the agency was in possession of
satellite images of the incident and would soon make them public.
Many commentators had descended on HRW since it made the claim that 2,275 houses were burnt in Baga.
While some accused the organisation of bias, others said its figures had been exaggerated.
The HRW had said, “Because of the number
of buildings destroyed as well as their distribution across large
sections of the town, we believe that such fires were intentionally set
and not inadvertently sparked by the detonation of rocket-propelled
grenades or improvised explosive devices.
PUNCH
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