Northern Elders Forum Calls for Resignation of Military Top Brass Over Kaduna Bombing

Following the tragic bombing incident in Tudun Biri village, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has demanded the resignation of military top brass responsible for the Kaduna airstrike that claimed the lives of 85 villagers and left several others injured.

During an interview on Channels Television‘s Politics Today, Prof Usman Yusuf, a public affairs analyst, and NEF member, strongly expressed his disapproval, stating, “This is irresponsible. They will all resign; everybody in the chain of command will be fired. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), everybody will go and the President will cut his trip and return home.”

Yusuf emphasized that in more accountable environments, military chiefs would have already submitted their resignations over such a grave incident, which has plunged the nation into mourning. He lamented the tragic irony that the military, tasked with protecting citizens from external threats, was, in this case, responsible for the loss of innocent lives.

The NEF member insisted, “All of them should go – the CDS, the Chief of Army Staff, the GOC, the operatives, heads must roll.”

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In response to the incident, both the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, visited the families of the deceased victims and those injured in Kaduna on Tuesday. They expressed regret over the accident, offering apologies to the people of the state and assuring them that such a tragedy would not happen again.

The Call for Independent Investigation

Despite these visits and apologies, Prof Usman Yusuf argued, “The Army cannot investigate itself; there should be a high-powered, independent committee headed by a retired CJN (Chief Justice of Nigeria), and in there, there should be a service chief.”

Yusuf also raised concerns about the potential impact on foreign relations, stating that foreign countries might be hesitant to sell arms to the Nigerian military “when they are dropping them on our people.”

The confusion surrounding the incident included contradictory statements, with the Nigerian Air Force denying responsibility initially, and later, the Kaduna State Government revealing that the Army had taken responsibility for the accidental airstrike. The Army explained that terrorists sometimes embed themselves among civilians, leading to tragic errors.

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This unfortunate incident adds to a series of controversies and accidental airstrikes in Nigeria’s battle against bandits and terrorists. The NEF’s call for accountability and an independent investigation underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for swift and transparent action in the aftermath of such tragic events.

AnaedoOnline