The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has paid a condolence visit to Tudun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Army Chief arrived the community in the early hours of Tuesday 5 December 2023, accompanied by Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, where he met with the Dangaladima Zazau, the District Head of Rigasa, Architect Aminu Idris, other leaders and members of the community.

The COAS in an emotion laden speech expressed regrets on the unfortunate mishap, describing it as a very disheartening occurrence.

Speaking further, Gen Lagbaja noted that in the recent past, the general area of Tudun Biri and adjoining villages were infested with armed bandits, who terrorised the communities, until troops of the Nigerian Army started conducting operations to sanitize the area and make it habitable. He pointed out, that the troops were carrying out aeriel patrols when they observed a group of people and wrongly analyzed and misinterpreted their pattern of activities to be similar to that of the bandits, before the drone strike.

Meanwhile, one Idris Dahiru, a resident of Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State says that 34 of his family members were killed in the Nigerian Army’s aerial bombardment Sunday evening.

He said, “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,” Dahiru told BBC Hausa.

“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,” he added.