Against the backdrop of the unfortunate drone bomb-attack of the Nigerian Army in Tundun Biri in Kaduna State, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has appealed for calm to prevent any security breach as a result of the incident.
In its reaction to this sad incident which left over 86 people dead with several others seriously injured, the Group stated that the attack must not have been deliberate.
It however cautioned the Military to be extra careful by ensuring that due-diligence is done in future military operations to avoid collateral damage and carnage of this nature.
Muslim Media Watch Group noted with serious concern that accidental military attacks leading to several loss of innocent lives having been occurring in Nigeria since 2017 and record shows that the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) were mostly involved.
The Group admonished the Nigerian Army to concentrate on its core mandate of being ground officers and soldiers and restrain itself from involvement in air-strikes with drones because of mistaken identities that has caused the death of innocent citizens of Nigeria especially now in Kaduna State.
It stated further that only the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) is well-trained for air military attacks, and asserted that even with that, NAF still commit errors – appealing to both the Nigerian Airforce and Nigerian Army to step-up its level of military training and routine maintenance of its facilities so as to be able to cope with the level of insecurity the Nation is facing presently without any mistaken identity any longer.
While saluting the Military over its commitment to internal and external security of Nigeria, it urged the Commanding Military Authorities to note that accidental bombing and military air-crashes has being creating fears in the minds of the people on the competence and otherwise of our Military, urging them to rise to the challenge of arresting too many military air mishaps and accidental bombings in the Nigerian aerospace that has been creating fears in the civilian and military populace itself.
In the Press Statement signed by the Media Group’s National Coordinator, Alh. Abdullahi Ibrahim, the Group took exception to the ‘manufacturing’ of figures of the causality by the Amnesty International (A.I.) which put the death toll at 126; adding that the most credible authorities on this incident are the Village Head of the Tundun Biri Community who stated that 85 people were buried and the Hospital Authorities that claimed that of the 76 victims that were admitted only 1 additional victim died.
The Group warned against media propaganda aimed at escalating figures of sad incident with a view of discrediting the Government at Centre or State Level.
It stated clearly that it was not holding brief for any Government but maintained that it is not only unpatriotic but also uncivilised to politicise any sad occurrence, which it described as absolutely condemnable.
MMWG called for early investigation and timely submission of report of Tundun Biri incident as well as open Report Submission with early implementation of the its recommendations to prevent future occurrences.
The Group appealed for early compensation of the families of the departed and warned against corruptive practices in the compensation exercise as those that wants to profit illegally from this sad event, are calling for the wrath of Almighty Allah on them, the Group concluded.
