Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has visited the Tudun Biri community in Kaduna State to offer his condolences after a military airstrike killed scores of villagers Sunday night.
TruthNigeria reported that the drone was fired on Muslims gathered for a religious event, the latest in a series of errant strikes as the country fights armed groups in the northern flank.
Local media reported a range of death figures between 60 and 120; but Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said that 154 people were buried after the attack, citing reports of its workers and volunteers in the area. Dozens were injured and are hospitalized.
Lagbaja “expressed regrets on the unfortunate mishap, describing it as a very disheartening occurrence”, according to a statement by Army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu.
The Army chief visited the scene of the explosion and tendered “unreserved apologies” on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the community, and the people and government of Kaduna State. He has ordered an investigation into the disaster.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stopped short of acknowledging the military airstrike on civilians in a village in Northwest Kaduna State on Sunday as a lack of professionalism.
The President instead described the deadly strike as “very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful.” In a statement released by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale on Tuesday, Tinubu expressed his “indignation and grief” over the “bombing mishap”.
The Nigerian Army said dozens of Tudun Biri villagers were accidentally killed by a military drone targeting terrorists and bandits. President Tinubu has asked for a “thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident and called for calm while the authorities look diligently into the mishap.” The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has also called for an inquiry.
Read more: https://truthnigeria.com/2023/12/nigerian-president-orders-probe-of-deadly-strike-in-kaduna/
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
