Army Chief, Taoreed Lagbaja, apologises over erroneous bombing of Kaduna Villagers

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has tendered an unreserved apology to the Tudun Biri village where at least 85 members of their community were killed in a Sunday night bombing which the Nigerian Army erroneously mistaken for bandits.

Lagbaja tendered the apology when he paid a condolence visit to the village which is located in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to a statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, Lagbaja arrived the community in the early hours of Tuesday 5 December, accompanied by Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, where he met with the Dangaladima Zazau, the District Head of Rigasa, Architect Aminu Idris, other leaders and members of the community.

“The COAS in an emotion laden speech expressed regrets on the unfortunate mishap, describing it as a very disheartening occurrence.

Speaking further, Gen Lagbaja 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 and make it habitable. He pointed out that the troops were carrying out aerial 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 inadvertent 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.

“The District Head of Rigasa, Architect Aminu Idris in his remarks said despite the enormity of the incident, the Nigerian Army showed integrity in accepting responsibility for the drone strike and urged its leadership 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.

“General Lagbaja also commiserated with the Chairman Jamaa’ atu Nasru Islam, Kaduna State, Prof Shafiu Abdullahi and other clerics.

“The Chief of Army Staff equally visited affected victims at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital Anguwan Rimi, Kaduna, where he expressed concern for the speedy recuperation of the hospitalized persons and made an immediate donation of several provisions for their upkeep.”