It is exactly a week when an unprecedented tragedy struck the residents of Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. It was a gloomy, bloody and black Sunday evening for the whole community. The villagers, who were joyfully celebrating the annual Maulud celebration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were brutally and gruesomely killed in a twinkle of a period. Their moment of joy was turned to monumental anguish. Their overwhelming happiness was twisted to overflowing sorrow. Their agile bodies were shattered with severe bombardments. Their hearts were pierced into pieces. The survivors are still psychologically and emotionally traumatised. While some yet to come to terms with the reality of the incident.
It is an unfortunate sad incident. But it is more unfortunate that the attack was orchestrated and unleashed by the troops of the Nigerian Army who claimed that the whole tragedy was accidental and inadvertently. According to the Defence Headquarters, the community was bombarded as an immediate response to prevent suspected terrorists from unleashing terror on innocent civilians. The irony of this is that no terrorist or affiliated member has been identified as victim of the attack. The over 120 dead villagers were reportedly unarmed civilians. Many children have become orphans. Some parents may have become childless. Many wives would have become widows. Some fathers would have been striped off their partners. Some other has become homeless. The tragedy is gory and brutal.
Agreeing that the attack was accidental as claimed by the Army, but this is one out of too many. An exclusive report by Daily Trust detailed how the Nigerian military had killed over 500 civilians in several miscalculated airstrikes in the northern part of country in the space of 10 years.
According to the report, in February 2014, a Nigerian military aircraft dropped a bomb on Daglun, a village in Borno State, killing 20 civilians. Also in June 2021, two unarmed persons were killed in a failed air strike that hit Genu village as 10 persons were also killed and 20 injured in Malnok village of Borno State in April 2021. Similarly, sometime in August 2022, a miscalculated air strike killed 8 persons in Kurebe Shiroro village of Niger State. The breakdown is too long to be listed here. Ten years after these devastating incidents, the Nigerian military operations are entangled in the same mess of accidental killings. This is unbecoming! And it is no longer acceptable!
They said it is better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffers. The military should therefore employ due diligence in combating terrorists. The collateral damages are worrisome and alarming. Their intelligence and targets must be accurate before they strike. They must ensure that the lives of innocent citizens are protected. We deserve not to be killed along with non-state actors!
Meanwhile, the response of the government has been proactive so to say. Both low and high-powered delegations have paid condolence visits to the embattled community to sympathise with the victims. It is commendable. However, this incident must thoroughly be investigated. First, in order to bring perpetrators to book and adequately compensate the community, and also, to avert possible reoccurrence.
Adeleye is a final year student of Lagos State University
