Nigerian Army Admits Bombing Villagers Mistakenly In Kaduna

According to the Kaduna State Government, the Nigerian Army has acknowledged being responsible for the bombing on Sunday that killed at least thirty residents in Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to The PUNCH, a bomb delivered by a military plane during a Maulud celebration killed a large number of villagers in Tudun Biri, Igabi LGA, Kaduna State.

At least thirty locals lost their lives in the event, which happened on Sunday night at around nine o’clock.

The Nigerian Air Force had earlier denied carrying out the attack.

The Nigerian Air Force’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said in a statement that the NAF has not conducted any operations in Kaduna in the 24 hours.

The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Whirl Punch, Maj Gen VU Okoro, acknowledged that the Nigerian Army was on a regular operation against terrorists when the incident occurred, according to Samuel Aruwan, the Overseeing Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs.

The commissioner made this announcement to the media not long after Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, the deputy governor, met with heads of security agencies, traditional leaders, and Islamic clerics. During the meeting, “the Nigerian Army explained the circumstances which led to the unfortunate and unintentional attack.”

On Monday, the gathering took place at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna.

The state administration had evacuated dozens of injured people to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, he continued, adding that search and rescue operations were still in progress.

Additionally, he cited the deputy governor as expressing sympathy to the relatives of the deceased while offering prayers for their souls to rest.

The statement read, “The General Officer Commanding 1 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.”

The statement added, “The Kaduna State Government has received briefings on Sunday night’s attack which left several citizens dead and others injured.

“In a meeting presided over by the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza  Balarabe, which had in attendance heads of security agencies, religious and traditional leaders, the Nigerian Army explained the circumstances which led to the unfortunate and unintended attack.

“The General Officer Commanding 1 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.

“The deputy governor, at the end of the closed-door meeting, conveyed the condolences of the government and people of Kaduna State to the families that lost their loved ones and prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls.

“As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue efforts are still ongoing, as dozens of injured victims have been evacuated to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital by the Government.”

The heads of security agencies who attended the meeting included the state Commissioner of Police, MY Garba; Director of the Department of State Services, Abdul Eneche; the 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.