The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, visited Kaduna on Tuesday to offer condolences to the victims of the accidental bomb explosion in Tudun Biri, Igabi Local Government Area.
Peter Obi, advocating for a foundation to cater to the orphans and victims of the attack, further demonstrated his commitment by contributing N3 million personally to aid in the upkeep of those affected.
In a another generous gesture, Peter Obi extended a donation of N1 million to health workers at the hospital, along with an additional N1 million for miscellaneous needs, bringing his total contribution to N5 million.
Peter Obi clarified that the N1 million donated to the hospital management was designated specifically for the 1,000 health workers responsible for attending to the needs of the bomb victims.
According to Obi, the orphans left behind ought to be the government’s responsibility moving forward.
Obi, accompanied by a delegation to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna, labeled the incident as “unfortunate” and called upon the Federal Government and security agencies to prevent a recurrence in the country.
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He said, ‘Bringing them (victims) and treating them in the hospital is one thing, but do we have the sustainable foundation to see especially the orphan children all through? We have somebody who lost 34 family members; do you know the trauma of that?’
‘The orphans, we must now join hands because they are now our children, our property; everybody must join hands to see them through. I, in particular, if I know the foundation is set up, I will contribute to it as long as it exists. It’s critical, it’s important.’
‘We are family; what happened might have happened somewhere where we think we are not from, but we are all family. I have always said the purpose of government is to take care of those in need.’
Africa Today News, New York, documented that the Nigerian Army accepted responsibility for the accidental bombing, which sadly resulted in the loss of over 100 lives.
Most Rev. Buba Lamido, the Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese in Kaduna State, cautioned the northern political elite on Tuesday against politicizing the incident in Tudun Biri village.
Expressing concern, Lamido noted that northerners, particularly politicians with an eye on the 2027 polls, had begun to politicize the incident—a development he described as troubling.
A statement released in Kaduna on Tuesday, said, ‘The Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese, His Grace Most Reverend Dr. Buba Ali Lamido, has expressed deep grief over the accidental bombing at Tudun Biri village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State that claimed over 85 lives and scores of injured people and worry at attempts by some religious groups to mischievously paint what was an accident as an agenda targeted at Muslims.’
‘For the avoidance of doubt, Muslims and Christians were killed in the attack, which the Nigerian Army has claimed responsibility for and duly apologised for.’
‘We northerners must be careful not demoralise the armed forces in the renewed war against the terrorists because the war is far from over. We know for a fact that war is a very human endeavor and mistakes inevitably will occur.’