The tragic incidence the caused the death of several persons and injuries to many others has continued to generate varied reactions from different quarters.
The error drone attack by the Nigerian military occurred at Tudun-Biri village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, during a Maulud celebration.
On Friday (today) NORTHERN COALITION OF SOCIO-POLITICAL GROUP held a world press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kaduna to show over the incident.
The group, lead by Balarabe Lawal Zaria, Deputy National president, observed that, “Most saddening was that the incident occurred at about 10pm when a large number of Muslims celebrating Maulud, the birthday of Muhammad.
“However, from the information gathered , the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists, but inadvertently affected members of the community leaving several citizens dead and many others injured.
“As at today, the death toll from the incident as at Wednesday had increased to 127 as officials of Amnesty International who visited the affected communities confirmed the increase in the death toll with scores of injured persons were taken to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna.
“We members of the NORTHERN COALITION OF SOCIO-POLITICAL GROUP, therefore, wishes to commiserate with the Muslim Ummah as many of the affected who were said to be celebrating the Maulud.We also commiserate with Kaduna state government and families of victims, praying that “God grant the dead peace.”
“The devastating impact on lives and emotional effects are better imagined , therefore,we are urging the government and international communities to assist members of the community, especially victims’ families to cushion the effect of the bomb attack.
“Of course ,it is natural for such incident to attract condemnation , little wonder, the pan-Northern political and cultural association, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and the Jama’tu Nasril Islam have added their voices with calls for those found culpable to be punished.
“However, it is too early and out of place for anyone to give the incident an ethnic or religious colouration when investigations about the circumstances surrounding the bombing are still ongoing.
“For us, the religious and political leaders demanding for the sack the Chief of Defense Staff; the Chief of Army Staff, other service chiefs and the GOC are unnecessarily steering up tension. We want peace and tranquility to despite the ugly incident.
“As mark of concern, we have seen both the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja , visited deceased victims’ families and injured ones in hospitals in Kaduna .
“The group and few other people who have embarked on campaign of calumny should please stop pointing accusations at the chief of Defence, we therefore calling the good people of Kaduna and Nigeria in general to avoid bringing up the issue of religious, ethnicity and sentiment. It is worthy on note to say ,the chief of Defence staff is not for the Southern Kaduna or Kaduna Christian or Muslim rather for the whole nation.
“We are therefore calling on our brothers from AREWA GROUP to avoid bringing the issue of religion and ethnicity in what happened (bombing at Tudun-Biri)
“Meanwhile,We are joining United Nations, ACF ,JNI and other organizations to demanded full, thorough, honest, and open investigation of the incident, to establish what exactly happened,while we urged the military to review its rules of engagement to avoid the recurrence of an airstrike on a community in Kaduna State that killed several civilians. “
