Adeola Abimbola
The Nigerian Army clearly committed an ‘unintentional error’ by dropping or detonating armed drones on the quiet community of Tudun Biri village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday 3, November, killing over 100 people.
Both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani have since ordered thorough investigation of the unfortunate incident, after Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, openly admitted that the drones from the Nigerian army did the damages and commiserated with the community and the state at large, especially given that the incident happened while the residents were celebrating a Muslim festival.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has also led a high-powered delegation from Abuja to the state and the afflicted community. Nigeria’s Armed Forces often rely on air strikes in their battle against bandit militias in the North-west and North-east of the country, where insurgency has been on-going for more than a decade.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives,” the presidency said in a statement.The army had said its drone was a routine mission that “inadvertently affected members of the community”.
Witnesses said that the celebration was in progress around 9:45 to 9:50 p.m. when the first bomb dropped, killing about 56 people, most of them women and children. They described the scene as total chaos, especially when survivors began calling family members of victims from nearby villages to come to the scene, identifying and carrying dead bodies and helping those injured.
They said that at around 11 p.m., a second bomb was dropped, killing many responders from nearby villages.The flip side of this unfortunate incident is that it has showcased not the leadership qualities of Governor Uba Sani but how much he has united the people of Kaduna State in just a short while, irrespective of religion, political persuasion or tribe.
A visibly angry Sani, who said he had been trying to “calm the people down and make them understand that the government will fight for justice,” condemned the statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, that the bombing incident occurred because terrorists always mingled with residents of the community, adding that he would write to the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lieutenant General Toareed Lagabja, to ask that the statement be withdrawn.
“It is careless. The community is calm because Gen. Lagbaja had earlier taken responsibility for the error bombing. If you visit the hospital and see what is happening, you would condemn statements like this,” Governor Sani said and added that in spite of the gaffe, he would continue to give his support to the military in their fight against insurgency and banditry in the country.
Interestingly, the staunchest backers of Governor Sani and the affected community of Tudun Biri village, which is largely a Muslim community, is the Christian community in Kaduna State. The Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who attended the meeting convened by the governor during the visit of the vice-president to the community, Rev. Joseph Hayap, said that tempers were still high over the bombing.
He praised the governor for wanting to avoid divisive persons and groups in the undergoing healing process in Kaduna State. That ‘wise’ step would douse the building tension over the incident, he said.
“I am happy with the governor for pledging that he will not allow politics to affect the successful process of attending to the victims,” Hayap said. The Kaduna State CAN chairman said all Governor Sani has been doing since he assumed office is to “carry everyone in Kaduna State along.”
Hayap said that in less than seven months,l Sani has almost solved lingering ethnic, tribal and religious issues in Kaduna. “At such a young age, he carries every facet of Kaduna along like an old man. I must confess that Kaduna State is lucky to have Sani as Governor this period,” the Kaduna State CAN Chairman said.
He however expressed disgust with the use of the words, “error bombing” in questions over the incident. He queried: “We should interrogate what the military claims to be intelligence. Mistake bombing is becoming a yearly occurrence. There was a mistaken bombing that destroyed a church in Kaduna a few years ago. Where is their professionalism? Can we have innocent Nigerians killed regularly and say it is a mistake.”
Investigation shows that “error bombing” has gone on for too long to warrant urgent attention and concern for the root causes of what appears to be a deadly pattern.The governor blamed the incident on a lack of proper information and coordination among the Armed Forces. He ensured that the government was doing its best to ensure the best treatment for hospitalized victims.
Meanwhile, Governor Sani, who has flooded the community with relief materials, has commended President Tinubu for his quick intervention by pledging to support the victims’ families and rebuild the community.
“What is confirmed by the community families visited directly is that we have lost 86 persons. Eighty-six were killed at the beginning; we took 76 to the hospital. Out of this figure, one person died on Thursday. Though, we are now aware that the number of casualties is increasing. In fact some persons are saying more than 120. I can’t give the exact number now. But my team members and I are gathering data and monitoring the community on a daily basis.
“The incident happened due to insufficient information and coordination among the Armed Forces,” he said.
* Ms Abimbola, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja
