There was widespread outrage on Monday over the accidental bombing of Tudun Biri 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 at 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.
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.
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 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.
The statement read, “The news making the rounds alleging that Nigerian Air Force aircraft accidentally killed innocent civilians in Kaduna is false. Please be informed that the NAF has not carried out any air operations within Kaduna State and its environs in the last 24 hours.
“Also, note that the NAF is not the only organisation operating combat-armed drones in the Northwestern region of Nigeria. It is also important to ensure that due diligence is always exhausted by the media before going to press with unverified and unconfirmed reports.”
As the Nigeria Air Force distanced itself from the bombing, a resident in one of the affected communities told one of our correspondents that Tudun Biri village was bombed by a flying object and killed locals who were attending a religious ceremony on Sunday night.
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.’’