The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has described the problem of insecurity in the country as regrettable, noting that its persistence has now cost Nigeria a bunch.
Obi was reacting to the military airstrike that killed scores of villagers in Tudun Biri village, Kaduna State.
Recall that over 80 muslims lost their lives in the incident, which occurred on Sunday night during the celebration of Maulud Nabiy in the village.
In a series of tweet on his official X handle on Tuesday, the former governor of Anambra State stated that the Nigerian military must exercise utmost caution and professionalism to avoid reoccurrence.
He also commiserated with families that lost their loved ones and prayed to God Almighty to forgive their sins and grant them eternal rest.
Obi stated, “I read with sadness, the devastating reports of the accidental bombing of Tudun Biri Village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, by a Nigerian Army craft that mistook the villagers for terrorists.
“The lethal incident left death tolls reported to have risen to 80, with several others injured. While our military continues to fight impressively against insecurity in many parts of the country, they must exercise utmost caution and professionalism to avoid this kind of embarrassment to both the military and the country.
“Any incident that leads to harm or the loss of lives of the innocent people they are meant to protect should be avoided.
“Even though the mishap is one too many, the security agencies should work with reliable human intelligence report on the ground before any offensive attack to avoid innocent casualties, as has been reported in this case.
“Fatal mistakes like this leave indelible trauma on the families who have lost their loved ones to this ugly and unfortunate mishap. I sincerely commiserate with families that lost their loved ones.
“And to the dead, I pray God Almighty to forgive their sins and grant them eternal rest, and quick healing to the injured. We pray that such a mistake leading to a sorrowful outcome, as this, never happens again in our country.
“It is regrettable that the problem of insecurity in our nation has persisted for so long that we are now paying such unintended human costs as collateral damage.”