The Nigerian Army has taken responsibility for Sunday Nights drone strikes which rocked a gathering of villagers observing Maulud festivities in Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State.
The General Officer Commanding One Division Nigerian Army, Major VU Okoro explained that the Nigerian Army was on a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently affected members of the community.
This was disclosed by Samuel Aruwan, the overseeing commissioner for Internal Security and Home affairs shortly after a security meeting with officials of the Kaduna state government, religious leaders and other stakeholders.
The soldiers who were reinforced from Ngandu village were said to be on their way to Mainok, headquarters of the Kaga Local Government Area of Borno state which was under attack by militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād.
The NAF has not officially reacted to the federal lawmaker’s statement.
Posting on his verified X profile. He said, “The translation of this post reveals that scores of people were killed yesterday by Ariel bombardment during a religious festival in a village near the Kaduna Airport. Clarification is needed CC @NigAirForce @DefenceInfoNG.”
Sources from Kaduna had in an earlier report alleged that a jet operated by NAF had dropped a bomb around 9pm on Sunday, when villagers gathered for Maulud celebration, leaving several casualties.
Reacting to this claim, the Air Force through its spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, noted that NAF has not carried out any air operation in Kaduna within the last 24 hours.
Commodore Gabkwet further asserted that NAF is not the only Service operating combat armed drones within the region.