TheCable

Residents of Tudun Biri in Igabi LGA, Kaduna state, have sued the federal government over the military air strike that killed civilians in the community.

On December 3, many residents of the community were killed in air strikes said to be targeted at terrorists.

According to multiple reports, the death toll from the incident was over 120 while scores were left badly injured.

The Nigerian army immediately accepted responsibility for the incident, stating that its troops were on a routine mission against terrorists when the “mistake” occurred.

The suit was filed on December 8 before a federal high court in Kaduna by Dalhatu Salihu on behalf of Tudun Biri villagers, through Mukhtar Usman, their counsel.

They are praying the court to declare that the air strike which claimed lives “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”.

They are demanding N33 billion as compensation from the federal government.

The villagers are also demanding an apology to be published in at least three national dailies.