The victims of the military drone attack on Tundun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria have sued the Nigerian government for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights.
The lawsuit was filed before a Federal High Court in Kaduna by Alhaji Dalhatu Salihu on behalf of Tudun Biri villagers through their counsel, Mukhtar Usman Esq on December 8, 2023.
SaharaReporters had reported how scores of Muslims from the community were killed by a military drone attack.
Nura MC Khan, who claimed to be a resident of the community was among those who first confirmed the incident on his Instagram page.
According to Daily Trust, the Tundun Biri residents are seeking monetary compensation worth N33 billion and an apology to be published in at least three national dailies.
Among the reliefs sought is “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.”
It was learned that the hearing of the case had yet to be fixed by the court.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters reported how President Bola Tinubu described the military drone attack as an event designed by God.
“Our purpose is to condole the entire country through the Army on the loss of lives in Kaduna. It’s tragic. But as people of faith, and as people who believe in his country. And importantly, faith, led through Mawlid al-Nabi… We must state therefore as a tragic event designed by God, otherwise, it won’t happen,” President Tinubu said.
Tinubu said this on Monday while offering his condolences to the bereaved families during his visit to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
