Tudun Biri: Ribadu’s first test

The unfortunate massacre at Tudun Biri village, in Kaduna State, was the sorriest sight many of us have seen outside Palestine.

Our hearts bled at the cold-blooded killing of over 100 merry-makers, who were out of their homes at that time of the night, to celebrate the annual Maulid, which is the birthday of Prophet Muhammad SAW.

Though the actual date was about two months ago, it’s a well-known fact that some Muslims, especially in rural areas, observe the celebration whenever they can, as long as it’s after the 12th of Rabi’ul Awwal.

By all accounts, it was a peaceful celebration. Maulid is usually marked by songs of praise for RasulalLah SAW and readings from the Holy Quran, as well as the narration of stories from the lifetime of the Prophet, PBUH.

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While these usual practices were going on, according to Hauwa Ibrahim, who is an injured victim receiving treatment at Barau Dikko Hospital, along with her two grandchildren, “Some things fell from the sky,” which injured some and killed many others.

Hear her: “We still don’t understand what happened. We only gathered at the venue when something fell on us. Many died, but me and my grandchildren were injured.”

She is among the scores that were injured and are hospitalised at the moment. What is most disheartening about this sad and unfortunate incident is the fact that while the other celebrants rushed to help the initial victims, a second bomb was dropped on them, thereby killing and injuring more from among the ones who went to give aid.

Yet the army said this mass killing was a mistake and that it only happened because they were on a routine mission against terrorists in the area.

Still, not a single terrorist was killed; the victims are only innocent villagers who have themselves been victims of terror attacks by bandits.

The following morning, 93 whole corpses were buried, while severely mutilated ones were packed in bags and buried separately. Clearly, we are talking about a casualty figure of more than 100.

Though the army also accepted responsibility for the tragedy, not much is being said by them apart from insisting that the Kaduna State government’s statement had said it all; they didn’t have much to add.

But this is very strange. How can the institution behind a tragedy of this magnitude say it doesn’t have much to say? How about some heartfelt apology and condolence? How about announcing a plan to investigate and pay compensation to the families of dead victims as well as the injured?

Even more importantly, how about declaring a firm resolve to never do such again because this latest bombing is one massacre too many by the Nigerian military?

The bandits and other terrorists we are fighting are still having a field day, abducting and killing their victims at will. Is there any reason the military has been unable to target them successfully?

Why are people like Bello Turji and Dogo Gide going about their lives in the forests while terrorising nearby villages, yet the drones and manned weapons are totally unable to locate them?

But innocent villagers, simply having fun in pursuit of their religious festival, suddenly looked menacing enough to deserve bombardment!

One survivor, Bello Shehu Gara, recalled this: “We saw many people injured and calling for help. We decided to return to rescue them, but the plane dropped another bomb, killing many on the spot. The rest of us ran for our lives,” he told Daily Trust yesterday.

In a video of the attack that’s all over social media, a man crying after the incident said he had lost 33 members of his family in this bombing incident.

What for? Because we have a military that’s yet to get a grasp of how drones are used? Or because they are carelessly programmed to drop their contents on any group of people, no matter how peaceful or harmless they look?

Needless to say, I join all those who say this tragic incident at Tudun Biri has to be investigated.

And that’s why I’m directing a special appeal to our president’s National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to take up the task of ensuring that a thorough investigation of this tragedy is done.

The NSA should give an immediate directive or personally set up a committee to investigate how a drone can empty two deadly contents on innocent Muslim worshippers while peacefully celebrating Maulid in their village by accident.

Those behind this carelessness, or maybe deliberate action, must be fished out and punished.

Then relevant compensation must be paid by the federal government for every life lost in this unwarranted aggression. Those who survived with injuries should also be treated at the government’s expense, and their rehabilitation must be handled by it.

Finally, the NSA must ensure that this incident at Tudun Biri is the last “accidental discharge” by our military personnel on innocent civilians.

Daily Trust has documented 15 such tragic incidents from 2014 to date. And all of these happened in Northern Nigeria, in states like Borno, Yobe, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Zamfara.

Our military has no excuse to continue killing innocent people in the name of accident or unintended attack; especially when they are yet to track down, capture or kill the notorious bandits terrorising our nation.