Surviving victims of Tudun Biri bombing in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have sued the Federal Government, demanding N33 billion for the killing of no fewer than 100 residents of the area.
Recall that the Kaduna State Government had on Sunday 3rd December 2023 issued a statement stating that the Nigerian Army had claimed responsibility for bombing the community that left at least 100 villagers dead.
Earlier, President Bola Tinubu had directed that a swift investigation be carried out into the circumstances that led to the sad incident assuring that whoever was found culpable in the error drone bombing of the village would be brought to justice.
However, a resident of the community identified as Dalhatu Salihu, on behalf of his kinsmen, through their lawyer, Mukhtar Usman, had on December 8, 2023, approached the court to file a suit at the Federal High Court, Kaduna, demanding the sum of 33 billion naira as compensation for the unfortunate event.
The residents are also demanding an apology to be published in at least three national dailies, adding that the suit was to enforce the fundamental rights of the survivors of the attack.
“a declaration that the act of striking dead, by way of aerial bombardment of the deceased victims herein while celebrating the Islamic Maulud at their village of Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area on the 3rd day of December 2023 by the personnel under the command and supervision of the 3rd respondent (the Chief of Army Staff) amounts to a violation of the deceased victims’ fundamental rights to life as enshrined in Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and Article 10(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification Enforcement) Act (Cap 10) LFN 2010 and hence ultra vires the respondents, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.” The suit reads in parts.
Meantime, no date has been fixed for the hearing yet.
