Nigeria Army Chief Apologizes for Tragic Drone Strike on Civilians

At the burial of the dead in the community

Nigeria’s Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, visited Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State on Tuesday, following a tragic drone strike that mistakenly killed at least 85 civilians.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Sunday during a religious gathering, turning a moment of celebration into an instance of sorrow and loss.

General Lagbaja, however, tendered unreserved apology to the bereaved families and victims of the incident.

He said, “We will do everything possible to prevent such an occurrence from happening again in the conduct of our operations going forward.”

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.”

General Lagbaja was accompanied on the visit by the army’s Principal Staff Officers and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division.

The Nigerian Army, in a tweet, stated that, “We deeply regret to announce the death of 2 soldiers of 192 Battalion who lost their lives as a result of an accidental discharge during in-theatre training today (September 19).

“The Chief of Army Staff (Tukur Buratai) has directed the Commander 26 Brigade Gwoza to immediately constitute a board of inquiry to unravel the circumstances that led to this unfortunate situation.”
As part of the military’s response to the tragic event, a thorough inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the deficiencies that led to the incident. The army, under Lagbaja’s leadership, is committed to guarding against a recurrence of such a tragedy in the conduct of military operations. This accident is one of the deadliest in the country’s military history, further highlighting the need for a comprehensive investigation.”