Army apologises over accidental bombing of civilians in Kaduna… 

The Nigerian Army has apologised over the accidental bombing of civilians in the Tudun Biri community in the Igabi local government area of Kaduna state.

It expressed regrets for the unfortunate mishap, describing it as “a very disheartening occurrence.”

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. – Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, issued the apology when he visited the community.

A statement by the Army spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the army chief who was accompanied by Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, said in the recent past, Tudun Biri and adjoining villages were infested with armed bandits, who terrorized the communities until troops of the Nigerian Army started conducting operations to sanitise the area and make it habitable.

He explained that the “troops were carrying out aerial patrols when they observed a group of people and wrongly analysed and misinterpreted their pattern of activities to be similar to that of the bandits, before the drone strike.”

He said he was in Tudun Biri to personally witness the site of the mishap and to convey sincere regrets and unreserved apologies on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the District Head and people of the community, as well as the government and entire people of Kaduna State.

The COAS said he has ordered a thorough inquiry into the incident to ascertain and identify areas of deficiency that led to the inadvertent disaster.

He said the findings and overarching outcome of the investigation will “guide the Nigerian Army in meticulously and professionally seeking and applying lasting solutions to identified lapses and deficiencies in both the human and Artificial Intelligence variables that will forestall future recurrence.”