Nigerian government to build houses, clinics at Tudun Biri

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said the government will rebuild Tudun Biri, the village in Igabi Local Government area of Kaduna State where a Nigerian military drone attacked and killed at least 85 civilians.

The incident occurred late Sunday. Most of the victims were children and women. They were killed while celebrating the Maulud (the birthday of Prophet Muhammad).

Mr Shettima who visited the state on Thursday said President Bola Tinubu has directed that the Pullako Initiative should be kick-started in Kaduna State, with a complete package, including houses, clinics, schools, veterinary clinics, empowerment initiatives, and solar energy, among others, in the Tudun Biri community as a way of compensation for the destruction caused by the drone attack.

He stated this after visiting the victims of the drone attack at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna State where some of the casualties are receiving treatment, his media aide Stanley Nkwocha, said in a statement.

Mr Shettima also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to mobilise and provide adequate support to the victims of the tragedy in Tudun Biri village, the statement said.

“Most importantly, the President approved the commencement of the Pullako Initiative next month,” he said

The Pullako Initiative is the President’s non-kinetic approach to the challenges in the North-west.

“Beneficiary states are Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and for equity and justice, we deliberately included Niger and Benue States.

“We intended to kick off the programme in Sokoto, but in the light of recent developments, the President directed that the Pullako Initiative should be kick-started here in Kaduna State. And Tudun Biri will be the first beneficiary of that scheme. We are going to build houses that will complement the efforts of the Right Honourable Speaker.

“But ours is a complete package as well, including houses, clinics, schools, veterinary clinics, empowerment initiatives, and solar energy. It’s a complete package of solutions as a non-kinetic response to the problems of banditry and kidnapping in the North West,” Mr Shettima said.

He also noted that President Tinubu is worried about the tragic incident.

“I am here because the President is deeply concerned. He was deeply touched by what happened. As the late Dele Giwa rightly said, let’s not talk about the numbers; ‘one life taken in cold blood is as gruesome as millions lost in a pogrom’.

“The heart of the President is with the bereaved families. We were in the hospital to sympathize with the victims and be rest assured that the federal government stands by the community affected, the government, and the people of Kaduna State on this unfortunate incident.

“It is already directed by Mr President and an investigation is being conducted, to prevent a recurrence of the incident and we expect a report to be submitted in the shortest possible time,” Mr Shettima said.

Mr Shettima thanked religious leaders and elders of the community for not yielding to what he described as a plot to politicise the incident in an attempt to inflame passions.

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“I want to register our profound gratitude to our religious leaders, to our community leaders, who have served as stabilizing forces in this trying moment. Efforts were made to politicize, to inflame passions, but our leaders chose to err on the part of decency, on the part of moderation, on the part of maturity, and I cannot but thank you most profoundly.

“Incidentally, among them are two of my friends, Dr. Imam Tukur and Sheikh Al-Misri. They are my very good friends and I want to thank you,” he noted.

Earlier at the hospital, the Chief Medical Director, Shuaibu Musa, told Mr Shettima that the hospital received 71 victims with different degrees of injuries.

He said some of the casualties have been referred to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, the statement said.

Mr Shettima was in the company ofthe Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the state Governor, Uba Sani; APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, and other senior government officials.