Kaduna Bombing a ‘Regrettable Error,’ Assures Army Chief

• Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, describes the Tudun Biri airstrikes as a regrettable error, assuring it won’t happen again
• Senate Committee on Army vows to investigate the incident, commends Lagbaja for taking responsibility, and discusses budget challenges

Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, affirmed that the military airstrikes resulting in over 100 casualties in Tudun Biri village were a “regrettable error” during his appearance before the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Army. He emphasized that such incidents would not reoccur.

Addressing the committee to defend the Army’s 2024 budget, Lagbaja clarified that the bombing in Tudun Biri, Kaduna, was accidental, countering claims that it was intentional. The Senate Committee on Army, led by Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina), vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

The committee observed a minute of silence in memory of the deceased and commended the Army chief for taking responsibility for the unfortunate incident. Yar’Adua presented an award to Lagbaja, acknowledging the Army’s contributions to national security.

In his presentation, Lagbaja urged the National Assembly to reconsider the federal government’s envelope budgeting system, citing its role in inadequate funding for the Army to fulfill its constitutional duties optimally. He also called for the swift passage of the Armed Forces Support Trust Fund Bill before the end of the 10th National Assembly.

Presenting the budget for the 2024 fiscal year, the Army Chief requested N787.2 billion, allocating N647.5 billion to personal costs, N31.6 billion to overhead costs, and N107.9 billion to capital expenditure.

‘Kaduna Massacre Intentional,’ Gumi Hits Military

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a renowned Islamic Scholar in Kaduna State, has stated that the Sunday bombing of villagers in Tudun Biri, Igabi Local Government Area, is deliberate.

The scholar stated that it was wrong to target women and children, including the elderly, during wartime, but the military decided otherwise, believing they were terrorists’ families.

The scholar, who was delivering his weekly lecture at Kaduna’s Sultan Bello Mosque, questioned whether the first bomb dropped on the people was a mistake, as claimed, and what about the second bomb, which targeted those evacuating the bodies 30 minutes later, as claimed by the villagers.

According to him, God exposed some of the atrocities committed by the military in the forest, claiming that he had been warning people that innocent villagers were being targeted by security forces in the forest but that no one listened.