The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has urged the Army top leadership to step down in the aftermath of the bombing incident that resulted in the death of 85 villagers and left numerous others injured in Tudun Biri village, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Sunday.
Prof. Usman Yusuf, a public affairs analyst and NEF member, conveyed this demand during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.
Yusuf said, “This is irresponsible. They will all resign; everybody in the chain of command will be fired. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will go, and his trip will be cut and he’ll return home.”
According to him, in other regions, all military chiefs would have submitted their resignations following the accident, which has plunged the nation into grief.
He bemoaned the fact that the military, whose primary role is to safeguard Nigerians from external threats, was instead causing harm to the people.
The member of the NEF emphasized that “All of them should step down—the CDS, the Chief of Army Staff, the GOC, the operatives; heads must roll.”
Meanwhile, both General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), and Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), visited the families of the deceased victims and those injured in Kaduna hospitals on Tuesday.
The two top military officials expressed regret over the incident and extended apologies to the people of the state, assuring them that such a tragic event would not happen again.
Tinubu also conveyed condolences to the state’s residents and called for an investigation into the accident.
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However, Yusuf said, “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.”
He mentioned that foreign nations might hesitate to sell weapons to the Nigerian military due to concerns about them being used against their own people.
Following the recent accidental air strike on Sunday, the Nigerian Air Force initially denied responsibility, but later, the Kaduna State Government stated that the Army had admitted to the mistake on Tuesday.
The Army attributed the accident to the challenge of terrorists embedding themselves among civilians.
Nigeria’s armed forces frequently employ airstrikes in their efforts against bandits and terrorists.
However, such airstrikes have been marked by controversies, unintended bombings, and alleged errors, resulting in casualties among innocent civilians and soldiers.
Notably, in 2023, the NAF took responsibility for a fatal airstrike in Kwatiri, Nasarawa, which claimed 39 lives and injured six.
In 2021, about 20 soldiers were reportedly killed in Mainok, Borno State, during a NAF airstrike responding to a Boko Haram attack on a military camp, based on incorrect coordinates.
Bola Tinubu appointed a new set of service chiefs in June, just three weeks after assuming the role of Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces.