Nigerians, on Monday, expressed their disappointments and anger over the accidental bombing of Tudun Biri village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State by the Nigerian Army on Sunday, which left no fewer than 85 villagers dead.
Residents of the affected communities said they were celebrating Maulud, an Islamic event when the bombs were dropped by the military, a development that triggered both local and international condemnation.
The Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe, had to visit Islamic clerics in the state to douse tension, as the Governor of the state, Senator Uba Sani, ordered a thorough investigation into the bombing to forestall future occurrences.
As the state government moved to douse tension, the Christian Association of Nigeria, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, among others, condemned the recurrent erroneous bombings by the military.
This came as findings showed that no fewer than 425 persons including children and women had been killed by military accidental bombings between September 2017 and 2023. The figures were obtained from media reports of mishits by the military. However, there may be more casualties because the number of victims in some cases was not specified.
The state government said the Nigerian Army claimed responsibility for dropping the bomb on Tudun Biri that killed scores of villagers during a Maulud celebration.
Over 85 residents were killed in the incident which took place on Sunday night at about 9pm.
The Overseeing Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, and Force Commander Operation Whirl Punch, Maj-Gen VU Okoro, admitted that the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists when the incident happened.
This was contained in a statement released by the commissioner to journalists shortly after the Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, met with Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, heads of security agencies, where “the Nigerian Army explained the circumstances which led to the unfortunate and unintended attack.”
The meeting was held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna on Monday.
The commissioner said, “The General Officer Commanding One Division Nigerian Army, Major VU Okoro explained that the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently affected members of the community.”
He added that search-and-rescue efforts were still ongoing, as dozens of injured victims during the incident had been evacuated to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital by the state government.
He also quoted the deputy governor as having commiserated with the victims’ families, while praying for the repose of the victims’ souls.
The statement stated that among the heads of security agencies who attended the meeting include the Commissioner of Police, MY Garba; and Director of the Department of State Services, Abdul Eneche; Chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter of Jam’atu Nasril Islam, Prof. Shafi’u Abdullahi, who led other religious leaders as well as the District Head of Rigasa, Alhaji Aminu Idris, in whose domain the incident occurred.
The Nigerian Air Force, on Monday, denied that it bombed the Kaduna village.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the service had not conducted any operation in the state and its environs in the last 24 hours.
He added that the Air Force was not the only organisation using armed drones in the North-West.
But the National Emergency Managency Agency in a statement on its facebook handle on Monday evening, stated that the death toll had risen to 85.
It stated, “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.’’
The Kaduna chapter of CAN condemned the bombing, as the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum said it was unfortunate that the military whose primary responsibility was to save lives, was the one killing defenceless civilians.
The CAN Chairman in Kaduna State, Rev. John Hayab, said the wrong target was most unfortunate, as he encouraged the Muslim community (Ummah) and the people of Tudun Biri to accept the ill-fated incident not as a deliberate act but as an error that the Nigerian Army had acknowledged and shown regret.
“CAN will continue to pray for the government at all levels and the security personnel that God Almighty will give hem the wisdom and understanding to end insecurity and support the maintenance of peaceful coexistence so that citizens will go about their legitimate businesses.
“CAN calls on the security agencies not to relent in the fight against insurgency and prays that society will soon be freed from criminal elements in the country.
“CAN sends its heart-warm condolences to the families who lost loved ones, the Tudun Biri community, and the good people of Igabi Local Government, the Emir of Zazzau, and the government of the state,” he stated.
On his part, the AYCF National President, Shettima Yerima, called on the government to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter, adding that the killing was unacceptable.
He said the perpetrators of the so-called mistake must be made to explain beyond reasonable doubts how religious people carrying out religious activities could be mistaken for terrorists.
“While we commiserate with families of those who were killed, we pray God to give speedy recovery to the injured. Enough of this unwarranted killing of innocent people by those who should protect them,” he declared.
Amnesty International called on the Federal Government to overhaul the Nigerian Army over the incessant airstrike occuring in some states across the country.
The National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement earlier on Monday, described the casualty as “one accidental bombing too many”, while challenging the government of President Tinubu to carry out “an all out investigation with a view to finding lasting solutions to these many accidental bombings of civilians.”
A former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, via his X handle lamented, as he said, “Haba! You can’t kill 126 innocent souls, and civilians, and just call it a mistake. I can’t even remember a time when the troops killed such a number of terrorists anywhere in this country at once.
“@HQNigerianArmy, Nigerians are waiting to hear from you how this ‘mistake’ will be corrected and what measures you’d put in place to prevent a recurrence.”
A former lawmaker, Patrick Obahiagbon, said via his X handle. “This is profoundly calamitous and lugubrious. I extend my ardent condolences to the grieving families who have lost their cherished
kin. I also convey fervent wishes for the expeditious instauration and recuperation of the injured. Amen.”
A former federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, via his X handle said, “These bombs should be dropped on terrorists and not civilians.”
