Another resident, Jafar Jafar Abdullahi,, said that as Muslims, they believe what happened was destined to happen to them because their creator knows best.
Residents of Tudun Biri village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have said that they are still waiting to be compensated for their losses from the tragic military drone bombing.
This comes four months after the tragic military drone bombing in three communities of Igabi Local Government Area of the state that claimed over 100 lives.
Recall that the drone bombing which the Nigerian military said was a mistake, struck the communities on December 3, 2023, resulting in the death of at least 88 persons and scores of others injured.
The tragic incident occurred when residents of Tudun Biri, Ugara and Sabon Gida gathered at Tudun Biri to celebrate the Maulud.
But four months after the incident, Daily Trust reports that a resident of the community, Musa Umar, who lost six children to the bloody incident, lamented how he is deeply pained each time he remembered that his house used to be busy with children playing around but now empty, because all his six children were killed in the military drone bombing.
Umar was quoted as saying, “I am still in pain each time I remember losing my six children in one fell swoop. After the incident, I hardly slept because I used to wake up at night crying alone in the room.”
Umar, a peasant farmer said his late children were his happiness when they were alive, saying now the happiness is gone, God is consoling him and others that lost their loved ones in the village.
He lamented that the horrific incident would remain with him till he died because it could not be erased.
He said, “I will never forget what happened on that day because these were children I was hoping to take care of me in the future but all were killed on the same day. But I still give thanks to my creator because he knows best.”
Recall that when the incident occurred, President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government promised to rebuild the affected communities and compensate the victims.
However, the victims are yet to be compensated four months after the incident and the communities are also yet to be rebuilt through the Fulako initiative of the Nigerian government as promised by the Vice President Kashim Shettima when he visited the state.
Still traumatised by what happened to his six children, Umar however reportedly commended the government for its assurance to compensate the victims but said four months after, they are still waiting.
He said, “We are still waiting to be compensated months after the incident. We don’t know the reason for the delay. The government assured us that we will be compensated but we don’t know what is delaying them.”
Also, another victim, Auwal Shehu from Ugara village, who lost his son, said the victims were directed to open bank accounts which they already did but were still waiting to be paid.
Shehu said that two of his children, a boy and girl, were affected but it was only his son that died in the incident.
He lamented that “It was a terrible situation because my son was the best student in his class with a strong passion for Western education. His sister Maryam was injured but survived the attack. I still miss my son.
“They asked all of us who lost our children and loved ones to open bank accounts for possible compensation and we did but we are still waiting for the compensation.”
Shehu appealed to the government to kindly fulfill its promise of compensation even though it will not return their children but at least it will reduce their parents’ pain.
Another resident, Jafar Jafar Abdullahi,, said that as Muslims, they believe what happened was destined to happen to them because their creator knows best.
Abdullahi, explained that part of the government’s promise was the provision of houses to residents but since the incident, they have not gotten any house.
Abdullahi said recently, the government revisited the community on March 26 to flag off the construction of a 5.25-kilometer road, hospital and skill acquisition centre in the village.
He said, “Yes, water was provided in the community and a mosque is being constructed too but we are still waiting for the remaining promises made to us.”
He added that “They promised to pay compensation and we are still hoping they will but in case they do not, God is watching since we can’t fight the government. But if they pay, fine; if they don’t, God is watching us.”
Abdullahi also explained that most of the little money the victims received was from well-wishers who visited them at the hospital.
It was reported that there were not much infrastructural changes in the village since the incident occurred, as most of the mud houses are still standing.