Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has broken its silence over the air strike by the Nigerian Army at Tudun Birni community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, saying terrorists embedded with civilians.
Eighty-five people were killed with several others injured in the bombing, making it one of the country’s deadliest military bombing accidents.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, said the airstrikes were targeted at terrorists. He said the army’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detachment observed the movement of terrorists at Ligarma, an area notorious for being a haven of insurgents.
“It should be noted that terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centres for the civilian population to bear the consequences of their atrocities,” he said in a Tuesday statement.
“Nevertheless, the Nigerian military does its best at all times to distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
“The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy as such tragedies are needless and unwanted, which causes the armed forces to take extensive measures to avoid them.
“For instance, communities are to always alert troops of their activities particularly when such a community is known to be infested with terrorists and their sympathisers.
“These instructions are intended at enabling the military to distinguish between friendly and untoward activities.”
The Nigerian Army has since accepted responsibility for the incident, stating that its troops were on a routine mission against terrorists when the “mistake” occurred.
President Bola Tinubu as well as the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, have ordered a thorough probe while commiserating with the families of the victims.
Army chief apologies
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Tuesday, described the deadly airstrike that killed 85 people and injured several others in Kaduna State as regrettable.
The army chief, who visited the site of the mishap that has thrown the nation into a sorrowful mood, apologised on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the community, the government, and the people of Kaduna State.
Lagbaja, who visited the victims two days after the accidental strike in the Igabi area of the North-West state, promised to guard against such an occurrence in the conduct of military operations.
“My assessment of that unfortunate incident of Sunday, December 3, 2023, is that it is grave, regrettable. We will do everything possible to prevent such an occurrence from happening again in the conduct of our operations going forward,” he said.
