Nigerian Army Takes Responsibility Over Erroneous Bombing Of Civilians In Kaduna
Worshipers celebrating Maulud, were on Sunday night, bombed by a fighter jet belonging to the Nigerian Army at the Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The villagers in their hundreds, were said to have been mistook for terrorists and were mistakenly bombed.
Briefing the Kaduna State government on Monday over the incident, the General Officer Commanding One Division Nigerian Army, Major-General V. Okoro, said that the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently attacked the civilians.
Recall that the Nigerian Air Force had been accused of carrying out the operation which they refuted in a statement signed by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information, o Sunday.
A statement released on Monday evening by the National Emergency Management Agency via Facebook gave the death toll as 85.
“The North-West Zonal Office has received a report of an airstrike incident in Tudun Biri community of the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“The incident occurred on the 3rd of December 2023 at about 9:00-10:00pm, during a Maulud celebration.
“The North-West zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing.
“The zonal Office has visited the Barau Dikko hospital where casualties were been treated and saw about 66 persons on admission having sustained various degrees of injuries and fractures.
“At the time of filing the report, the zonal office could not visit the community due to the tension, although there is ongoing consultations with the religious leaders, traditional rulers and security agencies in order to douse the tension. It is worthy of note that the casualties ranged from children, women and the elderly.’’
This unfortunate development has raised concerns with many querying why the military always make mistakes while trying to fight off terrorists.
