Nigeria’s military began a probe of officers in command positions at its base in Baga after the northeastern town was captured by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in a Jan. 3 attack in which hundreds of people died.
The commanders “are in the process of accounting for their action leading to loss of weapons, men and location in their area of responsibility within the mission area,” Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said on its Twitter account late on Friday. The investigation “could lead to or determine appropriate disciplinary action,” it said.
The insurgents raised their flag at the headquarters of the multinational joint task force’s base, which was set up to combat the insurgency. They returned on Jan. 7 and razed the town and neighboring Doron Baga, killing hundreds in an attack Amnesty International said was the group’s deadliest yet, citing satellite images taken before and after the assault.
Boko Haram has escalated its violent campaign to impose Shariah, or Islamic law, in Africa’s biggest oil producer, killing more than 4,700 people last year, double the amount in 2013, risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft estimates. At least 65 people were killed in a failed attempt on Jan. 25 to take Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.