Idris Dahiru, a resident of Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has said that the Nigerian Army accidentally bombed his family on Sunday night, killing 34 members of his family.
At least eighty-five villagers have died as a result of the incident. When the military dropped the bombs, residents of the impacted communities claimed they were celebrating Maulud, an Islamic holiday that sparked outrage on a national and worldwide level.
While Senator Uba Sani, the state’s governor, ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the attack to prevent such incidents in the future, Hadiza Balarabe, the deputy governor of Kaduna State, visited Islamic clerics in the state to ease tensions.
Dahiru claimed in an interview with BBC Hausa that the airstrikes interfered with their celebration and this led to the killing of many.
“Our annual Maulud celebration was shattered by unexpected airstrikes. The first bomb exploded without warning, killing innocent people, including women and children, some victims were torn apart by the blast.”
He added, “As we rushed to aid the injured, the jet returned, unleashing a second bomb, this time, many of those who had come to help were among the casualties.
“My family alone has lost 34 members in this tragedy. We have 66 loved ones receiving medical care at Barau Dikko Hospital.”
But Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, has expressed regret to the families of those killed in Sunday’s unintentional bombing in the Tudun Biri hamlet in Kaduna State’s Igabi Local Government Area.
Lagbaja called the event “extremely depressing.” Nonetheless, he issued an order for an investigation into the event, stating that this would enable the service to prevent similar incidents in the future.
