The Tudun Biri community in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State has taken legal action against the Federal Government, seeking N33 billion in compensation for the loss of over 100 lives in their village. According to reports, the Kaduna State Government has attributed the tragedy to the Nigerian Army, claiming responsibility for a bomb dropped on Tudun Biri that resulted in the death of at least 100 villagers last Sunday.
In response to the incident, President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the circumstances leading to the unfortunate event, expressing a commitment to hold accountable anyone found responsible for the drone bombing error.
On December 8, 2023, a villager named Dalhatu Salihu, acting on behalf of his community, filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna through their lawyer, Mukhtar Usman. The lawsuit demands the mentioned sum as compensation and calls for a public apology to be published in at least three national newspapers. The purpose of the suit is to assert the fundamental rights of the survivors affected by the incident.
The villagers are seeking a declaration that the aerial bombardment on Tudun Biri violated the fundamental rights to life, as outlined in Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 10(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification Enforcement) Act (Cap 10) LFN 2010. They argue that the act is ultra vires the respondents, illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
As of now, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
