About 85 victims of the Sunday accidental bombing by the Nigerian Army at Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been given mass burial. This is just as the search-and-rescue mission continued in the village.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, who visited the community on Tuesday sympathized with the bereaved families.
The Kaduna State Government confirmed the Nigerian Army claimed responsibility for dropping the bomb on Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State which left no fewer than 85 villagers dead on Sunday.
The COAS, accompanied by Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, met with the Dangaladima Zazau, the District Head of Rigasa, Aminu Idris, other leaders and members of the community.
The COAS, in an emotion-laden speech, expressed regrets, describing the incident as a very disheartening occurrence.
Speaking further, Lagbaja noted that in the recent past, the general area of Tudun Biri and adjoining villages were infested with bandits, who terrorised the communities, until troops of the Nigerian Army started conducting operations to sanitise 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 analysed 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 NA 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.
Lagbaja donated N10m to the survivors of the bomb attack at the Barau Dikko Specialists Hospital.
