Tudun Biri: Recalling a Fatal Error Bombing By Idris Umar Feta
POLITICS DIGEST- In the build up to the last yuletide, precisely on December 3, 2023, the people of Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government of Kaduna state, woke up to witness an unforgettable tragedy.
A tragedy in which the Nigerian Army “accidentally bombed” villagers during a Maulad (birthday of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) procession the community organised for itself. The victims of the drone strike, mistaken for terror groups due to flawed intelligence, were mostly women and children celebrating the birth of their religious messenger.
According to reports, bomb was dropped twice; when the first bomb stroke, innocent and concerned natives rushed to the ugly scene to help victims. Boom! A second bomb was dropped. One can only imagine how chaotic the scene was and pray not to live it.
Afterwards, the Northern Governors’ Forum donated N180 million to injured victims, families of deceased and the community. The forum’s Chairman and Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, announced their resolve to work collectively to ensure that the tragic incident is thoroughly investigated with a view to compensating victims and taking corrective measures to prevent reccurence.
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The Northern caucus of the House of Representatives also pledged a donation of N45 million to survivors of the unforgettable attack. Chairman of the caucus, Alhassan Doguwa (APC, Kano), announced the ‘gesture’ in a press statement in the nation’s capital.
Mr. Doguwa, who condemned the attack, said the group planned to visit the community to commiserate with the people while insisting that the federal government must pay compensation to the families of the victims. He promised to lobby the House to ensure that the compensation is included in the 2024 budget.
The leadership of the Nigerian Senate also announced the donation of N109m, being the December salary of members, to the victims of the accidental bombing. This gesture was widely celebrated
The federal government also did not miss out in making fancy pledges by opting to draw a plan to rebuild the community.
President Bola Tinubu did the right thing by ordering an investigation into the incident.
The unfortunate Tudun Biri incident exposed a lot of flaws about the Nigerian Army; it showed a gap in intelligence gathering and operations in an area strewn with military formations.
Moving forward however, the military and other security agencies should always do due diligence before carrying out any air strike.
All in all, the government and other stakeholders should roll out plausible measures aimed at ending such kind of disasters, needlessly claiming innocent lives.
Besides government pledges, other able individuals should provide the community with relief materials and new shelter. This will surely go a long way in alleviating their plights, though would not breath life to their dead.