The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Tuesday, visited Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State where a drone attack by troops of the Nigerian Army killed many civilians on Sunday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagbaja apologised to members of the community for the incident and donated N10 million for the upkeep of those receiving treatment.
Lagbaja explained that the incident occurred while the troops were conducting armed reconnaissance along Riyawa and Rimawa villages where the movement of suspected bandits was observed.
“Having trailed them for some time, the decision was taken to conduct a strike based on the observations of tactics usually employed by bandits.
“Unfortunately, the report we got thereafter revealed that it was innocent civilians in Tudun Biri that the drone carried out the strike on,” the COAS added.
He said this made him make the urgent and essential visit to the village to commiserate with the community on the unfortunate incident.
Lagbaja assured the villagers that a thorough investigation had commenced on the matter even before the directive to that effect by President Bola Tinubu.
The COAS stressed that the Nigerian Army as a responsible public organisation, would support the families of those who died and the ones injured, as well as the entire community to alleviate their sufferings.
He urged members of the community not to be deterred by the incident in their support of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies battling to ensure peace and stability across the state and Nigeria as a whole.
Responding, the District Head of Rigasa, Alhaji Aminu Idris, who received the COAS, described the drone attack as unfortunate, adding that people in the community had suffered attacks by bandits.
Idris appreciated the COAS for the visit and urged troops of the Nigerian army to do their best to protect the lives and properties of citizens.
He expressed the hope that the Nigerian Army would compensate the families of the deceased to ameliorate their sufferings.
NAN reported that the COAS had earlier visited the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna to commiserate with some of the victims of the attack receiving treatment.
