Amid tears and sorrow, the victims of Sunday’s terror bombing of the Tundun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State by the Nigerian Army drone were buried on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has ordered a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident in which over 80 people were killed and scores of others left with varying degrees of injury.
He described the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of lives of many Nigerians.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the president, while calling for calm, directed swift and comprehensive medical attention to be given to the surviving victims.
He also prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died in the unfortunate incident.
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on concerned authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into Sunday’s mistargeted bombing of locals in the Kaduna community.
The former vice-president of Nigeria made the call while expressing his condolences to the families and victims of the accident in a statement on his official X handle.
Lamenting the sad incident, Atiku said: “I am grieved by the news of the drone airstrike that killed dozens of people and left scores of others with various degrees of injury in the Tudun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“Ironically, the victims of this unfortunate incident were celebrating the Maulud anniversary. The incidence of miscalculated air strikes is assuming a worrisome dimension in the country. We need to develop counter-insurgency strategies that will insulate the civilian population from tragic incidents of this nature.
“I call on the authorities to launch a thorough investigation into this tragedy to avert future occurrences.”
While praying for the repose of souls lost in the incident, Atiku called for proper medical attention for survivors and assistance to families of the dead.
“Meanwhile, no resource should be spared in medical attention to the injured and assistance to the families of the dead. I pray that the Almighty Allah comfort the bereaved families and grant the dead eternal peace”, he said.
Meanwhile, a group known as Future Nigeria Movement (FNM) has described Sunday’s incident as an unacceptable national disaster, insisting that President Tinubu, being the Commander-in-Chief, must not allow the incident to slide, but take drastic actions to stop the systematic carnage.
The group, in a statement signed by its Leader, Livingstone Wechie, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, urged Tinubu to ensure that those found culpable were prosecuted accordingly.
“He must execute his powers and address the nation on steps to arrest this catastrophe. We cannot move on as though nothing happened when our compatriots have been killed like chickens by a military that should protect and defend them”, the group stated.
FNM said the incident had further revealed the need to rework the nation’s military structure and infrastructure, as well as critically prioritise the advance training and retraining of military personnel.
Wechie said: “It is no longer news that most of Nigeria’s military hardware and technology have become grossly outdated and gone south. What has happened to the coordinates and other sophisticated devices that detect and determine targets that should now result in this national calamity and unexplainable international embarrassment.
“President Bola Tinubu owes it a duty to ensure, without prejudice, that any personnel culpable in this loss, either by omission or commission, is punished and sacked, including any of the service chiefs.
“If the president fails to exert his powers as commander-in-chief at this auspicious time, it will cast doubts on his commitment and value for the lives of Nigerians. One had expected that service and other security chiefs should be resigning now as a mark of responsibility. The question now is whether our lives have become so valueless that the government will no longer show necessary duty of care for our helpless citizens.
“Fundamentally, corruption has become the bane of our security system as this ugly incident has, again, brought to the fore, the agitation by frontline soldiers and watchers, that the war equipment had mostly gone south and can no longer contain the sophistication of the terrorists and insurgents.
“It was in this same country, under the last administration, that the National Security Adviser raised the alarm that more than a billion dollars meant for military hardware could not be accounted for. Yet, the presidency shut him down till date.
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“The 2024 budget proposed estimate for Defence is about N3 trillion, while that of 2023 was N2.2 trillion as it is back to back. Yet, nobody accounts for the utility just because the insurgency and security situation has become a big industry. If we must make progress, we must be deliberate and intentional without patronising negligence.
“Whilst FNM calls for a national mourning, it expresses disappointment and condemns the Kaduna State government for its carefree response, stating that it will foot hospital bills, investigate to avert a recurrence.
“This shows leadership failure and loss of value for the lives of citizens. This is too lame, inexcusably irresponsible and disheartening to say the least. We expect state actions to demand explanations and a statewide mourning.”
