Just In : Defence Chief Speaks On Report Of Kaduna Bombing Investigation
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has assured the public that the report on the investigation into the Kaduna bombing will be released soon and made public.
Speaking on Channels TV on Tuesday, the CDS acknowledged the public’s concerns and emphasized the government’s commitment to uncovering the truth behind the tragic incident.
“The Federal Government has set up a committee to look into it,” he stated. “We know at the end of it, the truth will come out and everybody will understand that it was definitely a mistake.”
Approximately 100 people lost their lives, and many others were injured in Tundun Biri, Kaduna State, during Nigerian Army airstrikes on the Sunday before last when villagers were celebrating Maulud.
The army issued an apology, describing the bombing as accidental and aimed at terrorists. However, numerous stakeholders have called for a thorough investigation and the punishment of those found responsible.
To address concerns about potential cover-ups, the Chief of Defence Staff reaffirmed the government’s transparency, stating that “the investigation is going to be made public.”
He said, “The Federal Government is already in charge, it is working on it, and I am sure the announcement will come very soon.
“Like I said, we are sincere, we are fair, we are impartial. We want to know what really happened so that we can make amends. Like I told you, nothing will be thrown under the carpet.
“We actually feel bad. Anytime we have mistakes, we take ownership and we feel extremely very bad about it especially when even we lose our own troops in the war.
“We just want Nigerians to understand that the incident was never deliberate, our mandate is to protect innocent Nigerians and we will continue to do that.
“It is unfortunate that out of the 99 successes we had, this one that we had has given us a lot of negative responses but we know Nigerians want success and we are succeeding.”
Addressing concerns about military men’s involvement in oil theft, the CDS confirmed receiving such reports, adding that steps were being taken to combat the crime.
“Yes, we get such reports but again sometimes they are posted based on performance. When we posted people and they didn’t do well, we change them quickly.
“What I can tell you is that we monitor what our commands are doing, what our soldiers are doing.
Any one that we find that is doing anything illegal, we address that as quickly as possible. I can guarantee you that anybody found to be doing anything illegal, we will take adequate actions against that individual,” he added.
