From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Soon after the drone misfire by the Nigerian Army that killed over 100 civilians in Tudun Biri village, in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, tongues started wagging from various quarters, giving ethno-religious coloration to the bloody incident.
•Survivors at the hospital
The unmanned army drone had on December 3, 2023, bombed Tudun Biri community while hundreds of residents were celebrating Maulud (the birth of Prophet Mohammed) at about 10pm and struck twice with bombs, apparently mistaking the people for terrorists.
Security sources said there was earlier information that terrorists were planning to use the community as a stepping stone from where they would unleash attacks on their planned targets in the state.
•More survivors
The security sources added that “it was unfortunate that the terrorists used innocent people as shields, hence the unavailable casualties among innocent civilians.”
However, reactions from different quarters over the incident in a community that is almost 100 percent Muslim-populated was heading to cause ethnic-religious crisis in the state.
•Another survivor
Apparently injecting religious sentiments through its reactions, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the foremost mouthpiece of northern Nigeria, quickly called for the removal and redeployment of top military officers.
The ACF, through its spokesman, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, called for the redeployment of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Nigeria Army, Kaduna, Major General Valentine Okoro, over the bombings.
The ACF also called on the Defence Headquarters to retract what it called offensive statements against the embattled community soon after the bombing. The forum also demanded the results of the investigations must be made public.
The forum said: “The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, along with his immediate subordinate officers should be redeployed to allow for unfettered investigations.
“As a trite principle of justice, 1 Division of the Nigerian Army must not and should not be allowed to investigate itself. An independent panel of investigators is clearly indicated.
“Further, the results of the investigations must be made public, issues that border on national security considerations excepted.
“The Defence Headquarters asserted that the community ought to have informed the military about its activities, an assertion tantamount to a classic blame-the-victim strategy and typical gaslighting of the victims of the incident.
“On the contrary, the usual practice is for communities to be informed about impending military operations and while it is entirely plausible that terrorists often disguise as civilians and entrench themselves in civilian population, the Tudun Biri gathering was clearly that of innocent civilian citizens, and as obvious from photos of the before-and-after the incident.
“The Defence Headquarters should retract its needless statement. The Ministry of Defence, and the armed forces in particular, should take steps to ensure that such incidents are avoided or contained to the barest minimum humanly possible.
“The Federal Government must take responsibility for full compensation to all victims of Tudun Biri. The gesture should also be extended to victims from all previous such incidents.
“While ACF recognizes and unequivocally supports the resolve and sacrifices of the nation’s armed forces to totally exterminate banditry and terrorism in the nation. However, the armed forces should always remember that they must remain accountable for their actions.”
Also, the leadership of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) described the Sunday bombing as “one too many.”
The SCSN secretary-general, Nafi’u Baba Ahmad, while reacting to the incident, noted that such unintended bombings of civilian populations keep recurring because there have not been sanctions for those found guilty of similar happenings in the past.
“But this is one mistake too many, with no evidence of any sanction or accountability,” he said.
He noted that in 2017 a similar “error” occurred at a refugee camp in Borno State where many were annihilated and hundreds of casualties recorded.
“Similarly in June this year (2023), a group of Fulani with their cattle were bombed and perished in Nasarawa State.
“All these attacks were said to be ‘a mistake’ by the Nigerian security operatives. Civilians are being exterminated like mosquitoes,” he added.
For Northern Elders Forum (NEF), the recent “accidental” bombing by the Nigerian military during an operation against bandits in a Kaduna village is a matter of serious concern regarding the safety and wellbeing of civilians in conflict zones.
The spokesperson of NEF, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said: “NEF understands that the Kaduna State government had risen to the occasion and also pledged that the victims of the strike will be compensated.
“However, beyond compensation for the victims, a thorough investigation is essential to ensure justice for the affected civilians, prevent future occurrences, and uphold the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law.”
Apparently dousing tension of ethno-religious sentiments attached to the bombings, the district head of Rigasa, Aminu Idris, said, contrary to earlier insinuations that Tudun Biri community is solely Muslim-populated, there are Christians who live in the community and were also victims of the incident.
Worried by this development, Governor Uba Sani expressed displeasure over an attempt by some disgruntled elements to bring religious and ethnic sentiments to the attack. He said the bombing had nothing to do with religion or ethnicity, saying, “In Kaduna we are not divided over religious faiths. Both Christians and Muslims are one.”
Empathising with the victims, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Diocese, Matthew Manoso Ndagoso, visited Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, where some of the injured were hospitalised.
While praying for their quick recovery, Archbishop Ndagoso said: “This bombing has led many people into distress and, in keeping with corporal work of mercy as Catholics, we decided to come and condole with the victims and thank the management of Barau Dikko Hospital for the attention given them, as most of the people are recovering quickly.
“The error bombing is an act of accident. Perfection is only to God. These machines are made by human beings and are limited. It’s accident, the military has to do something about it from future occurrence.”
Meanwhile, a northern coalition of socio-political groups has warned that it was too early and out of place for anyone to give the accidental bombing in Tudun Biri any ethnic or religious coloration when investigations are ongoing.
The president of the group, Balarabe Lawal Zaria, noted that the religious and political leaders demanding the sack of the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, and other top army officers were just stirring unnecessary tension in the country.
“For us, the religious and political leaders demanding the sack the chief of defense staff, the chief of army staff, other service chiefs and the GOC are unnecessarily stirring up tension. We want peace and tranquility despite the ugly incident.
“Those who have embarked on campaign of calumny should, please, stop pointing accusations at the chief of defence staff. We, therefore, call on the good people of Kaduna and Nigeria in general to avoid bringing up the issue of religion, ethnicity and sentiments into the incident.
“It is worthy of note to say, the chief of defence staff is not for Southern Kaduna or Kaduna Christians or Muslims but rather for the whole nation,” the group said.