Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, made a poignant visit to Kaduna State following the tragic military air strike that claimed the lives of at least 85 people and left numerous others injured.
The purpose of the army chief’s visit was twofold: to conduct an on-site assessment of the affected community and to offer condolences to the families of the victims in the aftermath of Sunday’s devastating incident, marked as one of Nigeria’s deadliest military bombing accidents.
The army had previously acknowledged that a drone, intended for armed groups, accidentally struck Tudun Biri village during a Muslim festival celebration. While the army refrained from specifying casualty figures, local residents reported the loss of 85 lives, a considerable number of whom were women and children.
Describing the mishap as “very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful,” President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, swiftly ordered a comprehensive investigation into the tragic incident. Tinubu urged for calm among the populace while authorities meticulously look into the matter.
In expressing his indignation and grief over the loss of Nigerian lives, Tinubu directed urgent medical attention to the survivors and offered prayers for the departed souls.
Nigeria’s armed forces frequently employ air strikes in their ongoing battles against bandit militias in the northwest and jihadists in the northeast, a conflict that has persisted for over a decade. The unintended tragedy in Tudun Biri underscores the complexities and risks inherent in such military operations.
