Kaduna airstrike: COAS pays condolence visit to bombed community

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Tuesday paid a condolence visit to Tudun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where several persons died in Sunday’s airstrike by the Nigerian Army.

Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director Army Public Relations, in a statement, said the COAS on arrival, met with the Dangaladima Zazau, the District Head of Rigasa, Architect Aminu Idris, and other leaders and members of the community.

The COAS expressed regrets over the unfortunate mishap, describing it as very disheartening.

According to the statement, the Army chief noted that, in the recent past, the general area of Tudun Biri and adjoining villages were infested with armed bandits, who terrorised the communities, until troops of the Nigerian Army started conducting operations to sanitize the area, to make it habitable.

He pointed out that the troops were carrying out aeriel patrols when they observed a group of people and wrongly analyzed and misinterpreted their pattern of activities to be similar to that of the bandits, before the drone strike.

The COAS stated that he was in Tudun Biri to personally witness the site of the mishap and to convey sincere regrets and unreserved apologies on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the District Head and people of the community, as well as the Government and entire people of Kaduna State.

He disclosed that he has ordered a thorough inquiry into the incident to ascertain and identify areas of deficiency that led to the disaster, adding that the findings and overarching outcome of the investigation will guide the Nigerian Army in meticulously and professionally seeking and applying lasting solutions to identified lapses and deficiencies in both the human and Artificial Intelligence variables that will forestall future recurrence.

Responding, the District Head of Rigasa, Architect Aminu Idris, said despite the enormity of the incident, the Nigerian Army showed integrity in accepting responsibility for the drone strike.

He urged the leadership of the Army to intervene in bringing succour to hospitalized victims and the community for their losses.

He maintained that the community is a mixed community of both Muslims and Christians and that the victims are of both faith, contrary to earlier insinuation that the community is solely Muslim.

The COAS, according to the statement, also commiserated with the Chairman Jamaa’ atu Nasru Islam, Kaduna State Prof Shafiu Abdullahi and other clerics.

He equally visited affected victims at the Barua Dikko Teaching Hospital Anguwan Rimi, Kaduna, where he prayed for the speedy recuperation of the hospitalized persons and made an immediate donation of several provisions for their upkeep.