The Nigerian Army, mistaking a village for a bandits’ camp on Sunday night, bombed a Maulud event in Kurmin Biri village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing 85 villagers, with scores left injured.
Confirming the figure, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 85 bodies have been buried and 66 injured persons are receiving treatment at the hospitals.
While the search for missing persons is still ongoing, NEMA said the casualties ranged from children, women, and elderly persons.
Local sources said the event attendees who survived the first air strike were trying to rescue the injured persons to a nearby health facility when the aircraft dropped another bomb, causing further damage in the village.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) whom many initially speculated to be responsible for the air strike distanced itself from the bombing of the village.
Edward Gabkwet, NAF’s Spokesperson in a statement said “The news making the rounds alleging that NAF aircraft accidentally killed innocent civilians in Kaduna is false.
Gabkwet added that the Force had “not carried out any air operations within Kaduna state and the environs in the last 24 hours”.
However, while briefing the Kaduna State Government on Monday, December 4, the General Officer Commanding One Division Nigerian Army, Major-General V. Okoro took responsibility for the airstrike.
Okoro said the Army was on a routine mission against terrorists but “inadvertently attacked” affected members of the Kurmin Biri village in Kaduna State.
It was by Allah’s mercy that we survived – Survivor
A survivor, Malam Baba Muhammad of Tudun Biri, said the villagers were gathered for the Maulud event when they noticed a plane in the sky.
“It (plane) came right above us, there was a tree nearby. The plane dropped the first bomb and flew away.
“Many children and women who were there for Maulud celebration, were killed. Over 50. As we were trying to take those with injury to safety, the plane came and dropped a second bomb. It was by Allah’s mercy that we survived. The bomb killed more.
“We are now evacuating the dead, our women are crying, wailing for losing their children, who used to gather in the square for the Maulud. It’s devastating. We are peaceful people,” he said.
Muhammad claimed that more than 100 people were killed.
Kaduna govt orders probe, offers free medical services
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has ordered a thorough investigation into the air strike to forestall a similar future occurrence.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary Muhammad Shehu said Governor Sani ordered the probe at an emergency security meeting that had in attendance representatives of the Nigerian Army, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of DSS, the Chairman of JNI Kaduna State chapter.
He said, “I have ordered immediate investigations into the tragic incident. We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection will be prioritised in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.
“I have also directed the immediate evacuation of the injured to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital for emergency medical attention. The government will be responsible for their treatment and related logistics.”
Appealing for calm in the affected communities, the governor said: “Search and rescue operations in the area are ongoing. The state government has dispatched top government officials to the area to assess the situation, reach out to the families of the victims and advise the government on the immediate actions and measures to be taken to lessen the pains of the families of the victims.”
Tudun Biri bombing regrettable — CAN
Reacting to the bombing, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State chapter described the air strike as “most unfortunate”.
In a statement by its chairman, Rev. John Hayab, the Association prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died and the speedy recovery of the injured persons.
“CAN encourages the Muslim Ummah and the good people of the Tudun Biri area to accept the ill-fated incident not as a deliberate act but as an error that the Nigerian Army has acknowledged and shows regret. It is our prayer that such an unfortunate incident is not repeated in the future, whether in Kaduna state or any part of the country.
Arewa youth group condemns ‘mistaken’ bombing
Shettima Yerima, the President General of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has condemned the air-trike. “This is not acceptable because it is one mistake too many”, he stated.
Yerima continued “sadly, a security agency whose primary responsibility is to protect lives and property is now the one killing the people in the guise of a mistake.
“We are calling on the government to carry out a thorough investigation into this avoidable ‘mistake’ if intelligence gathering is anything to go by. Perpetrators of this so-called mistake must be made to explain beyond reasonable doubt how religious people carrying out religious activities could be mistaken for terrorists.
NEF demands a thorough investigation
On its part, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, said it found the recent “accidental” bombing by the Nigerian military a matter of serious concern regarding the safety and well-being of civilians in conflict zones.
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman , Spokesperson, NEF, said: “The Forum demands a thorough investigation into the incident which occurred at Tudun Biri, a community within Igabi council of Kaduna State killing scores of innocent civilians.
Beyond compensation for the victims, NEF said a thorough investigation is essential to ensure justice for the affected civilians, prevent future occurrences, and uphold the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law.
“By identifying the causes and circumstances surrounding the incident, the investigation can determine whether any negligence or misconduct occurred, holding those responsible accountable.
“This will provide a sense of closure and compensation to the victims, fostering trust between the military and the civilian population”, Suleiman said.
CHRICED Demands Accountability
The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) has called for accountability from the security agencies to address the continued killing of innocent Nigerians in the guise of operational errors.
In a statement, the Executive Director, Ibrahim Zikirullahi condemned what he described as the avoidable loss of lives and property due to unforced errors. He lamented that cases of previous airstrikes leading to the deaths of civilians were swept under the carpet and no one was held accountable.
“This is a case of repeated killing of innocent civilians, and because there was no accountability in the past, there is always the likelihood of repeat. CHRICED therefore calls for exhaustive investigations into the cause of this bombing and the prompt payment of compensation to the families of those killed. The other urgent task is to ensure this does not happen again. We are talking about innocent lives here.”, he said.
