By Linus Aleke and Cross Udo
President Bola Tinubu yesterday ordered an investigation into the Nigerian Army air strike that accidentally killed at least 85 civilians in Tudun Biri village, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, said Tinubu ordered a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident.
He said the President sued for calm while the authorities looked diligently into the mishap.
Ngelale said, “President Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives.”
According to the presidential spokesman, Tinubu also directed swift and comprehensive medical attention to surviving victims while praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased.
Sunday’s incident is one of the country’s deadliest military bombing accidents.
*66 villagers injured, NEMA confirms
Though the Army did not give any casualty figures, residents had said 85 people, many of them women and children, had been killed.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) further confirmed that no fewer than 85 persons were killed in an air strike by the Nigerian Army.
The North-West zonal spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Halima Suleiman, said 66 other victims were also injured in Sunday’s bombing.
She said the fatality figure was gotten from the local authorities after the burial of the victims on Monday.
“The North-West Zonal office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while a search is still ongoing,” NEMA said.
However, emergency officials were still negotiating with community leaders to calm tensions to be able to reach the village.
62-year-old Bulgarian graduates from Qur’anic school in Kano
*State officials visit devastated community
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Kaduna State Government led by the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, arrived at Tudun Biri village where several casualties were witnessed as a result of the accidental military drone attack
The government delegation also includes the Chief of Staff to the governor, Sani Kila.
Speaking to the people, the deputy governor, Balarabe said that the purpose of the visit was to commiserate with the families of the victims of Sunday’s tragic incident where Muslim faithful observing a Maulud celebration were mistakenly killed and many others injured, following a military drone attack targeting terrorists and bandits.
Recall that Governor Uba Sani had earlier ordered the immediate investigation into a military airstrike that was reported to have mistakenly killed worshippers in the middle of the night.
The governor said he received with deep shock the news of the unfortunate incident that led to the death of worshippers, from a military airstrike on Tudun Biri village, Afaka ward of Rigasa District of Igabi Local Government, and ordered evacuation of the victims.
According to him, “I have ordered an immediate investigation into the tragic incident. We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection will be prioritised in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.
“I have also directed the immediate evacuation of the injured to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital for emergency medical attention. The Government will be responsible for their treatment and related logistics.
He appealed to the affected community and entire citizens of the State to keep calm and continue to support the security forces and the state government in the battle against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements in the state.
“I am in consultation with the security forces to ensure that such mistakes are avoided in future operations,” he said.
*Islamic group urges military to conduct an impartial investigation
The Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen (Attijjaniyya), an Islamic group has urged the Nigerian Army to conduct a fair, impartial, and comprehensive investigation to ascertain the truth behind the bombing of a village in Kaduna State.
The National Secretary of the group, Saiyadi Yahaya, made the call at a news briefing yesterday in Abuja.
Yahaya also demanded transparency and accountability in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
According to him, no one should be above the law, and those responsible must be held accountable, regardless of their position or rank.
He also advised the Federal Government to establish a fair and efficient compensation mechanism for the families affected by the tragedy.
Similarly, Yahaya canvassed financial and emotional support to the affected community to rebuild their lives to cope with the immense loss they suffered.
He said, “As the National Secretary of Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen whose members were affected by the tragic killing of innocent civilians in Tudun Biri Village, Kaduna State.”
Yahaya also urged the Nigerian Army to reassess and reinforce rules of engagement for their personnel, particularly when it comes to the deployment of military drones.
He added, “It is essential to improve the training and education of the military personnel regarding human rights and protection of civilian lives. Emphasising empathy, respect for diversity and cultural sensitivity can help prevent future incidents of this nature.”
Yahaya extended the condolences of the group to the families who lost their loved ones in the incident.
“No words can alleviate the pain they are enduring, but please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time,” he said.
*Army Chief apologises, donates N10m for treatment of victims, says terrorists embedded with civilians in an affected community
The Nigerian Army has tendered unreserved apologies to the Kaduna State Government and families of victims of Sunday’s unfortunate bombing.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, tendered the apology when he paid a condolence visit to the Tudun Biri community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagbaja apologised to members of the community for the incident and donated N10m for the upkeep of those receiving treatment.
Lagbaja explained that the incident occurred while the troops were conducting armed reconnaissance along Riyawa and Rimawa villages where the movement of suspected bandits was observed.
“Having trailed them for some time, the decision was taken to conduct a strike based on the observations of tactics usually employed by bandits.
“Unfortunately, the report we got thereafter revealed that it was innocent civilians in Tudun Biri that the drone carried out the strike on,” the COAS added.
He said this made him make the urgent and essential visit to the village to commiserate with the community on the unfortunate incident.
Lagbaja assured the villagers that a thorough investigation had commenced on the matter even before the directive to that effect by President Bola Tinubu.
The COAS stressed that the Nigerian Army as a responsible public organisation, would support the families of those who died and the ones injured, as well as the entire community to alleviate their sufferings.
He urged members of the community not to be deterred by the incident in their support of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies battling to ensure peace and stability across the state and Nigeria as a whole.
Responding, the District Head of Rigasa, Alhaji Aminu Idris, who received the COAS, described the drone attack as unfortunate, adding that people in the community had suffered attacks by bandits.
Idris appreciated the COAS for the visit and urged troops of the Nigerian army to do their best to protect the lives and properties of citizens.
He expressed the hope that the Nigerian Army would compensate the families of the deceased to ameliorate their sufferings.
The COAS had earlier visited the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna to commiserate with some of the victims of the attack receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, indicated that the airstrikes were targeted at terrorists.
He said the Army’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) detachment observed the movement of terrorists at Ligarma, an area notorious for being a haven of insurgents.
“It should be noted that terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centres for the civilian population to bear the consequences of their atrocities,” he said in a Tuesday statement.
“Nevertheless, the Nigerian military does its best at all times to distinguish between civilians and terrorists. The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy as such tragedies are needless and unwanted, which causes the armed forces to take extensive measures to avoid them.
“For instance, communities are to always alert troops of their activities particularly when such a community is known to be infested with terrorists and their sympathisers. These instructions are intended at enabling the military to distinguish between friendly and untoward activities.”
