We Deeply Regret Kaduna Bombing Error – Army Chief

The Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, has said the accidental bombing of civilians in Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State is highly regrettable and will not happen again.

Lagbaja stated this on Thursday when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Army to defend the Army’s 2024 budget.

He said that the bombing was a mistake and unintentional, as claimed by a popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, and some religious leaders in the country.

But the chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina), said a thorough investigation would get to the root of the matter and called for a minute silence to honour the deceased.

It also commended the Army chief for taking responsibility for the unfortunate incident in Kaduna.

Earlier, Lagabaja urged the National Assembly to review the federal government’s envelope budgeting system to address the inadequate funding for the Army to perform optimally in line with its constitutional duties.

He also called on the parliament to expedite the passage of the Armed Forces Support Trust Fund Bill before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly.

The Army Chief also presented a budget of N787.2bn for the 2024 fiscal year with a personal cost of N647.5bn, overhead cost of N31.6bn, and capital expenditure of N107.9bn.