Kaduna airstrike: Defence Minister emphasizes determination to continue battle against terrorism, undeterred by civilian deaths

The Nigerian Army accidentally killed numerous civilians during an airstrike in the Agabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, but Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle has sworn that this will not end the war against terrorism and insurgency.

While visiting the airstrike victims on Wednesday, the minister made the commitment.

Matawalle led a high-level delegation to the state to express the Federal Government’s condolences to the victims along with Dr. Ibrahim Kana, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary.

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The ministry’s director of press and public relations, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

The minister condemned the tragedy but said that the fight against terrorism and insurgency would go on.

He went on to say that the administration will not back down from combating terrorism in light of the horrific incident.

“We have to beat these terrorists, so we won’t back down in our fight against terrorism. We will not give up on the criminals until we eradicate banditry and other forms of criminality from this nation.

Matawalle said that President Bola Tinubu had ordered the visit while he was at the injured victims’ treatment facility, the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna.

He gave the Kaduna State Government assurances about the Federal Government’s willingness to support the relatives of the victims.

In order to stop the disaster from happening again, he continued, the government would set up an investigation team to ascertain the events leading up to it.

In response, Governor Uba Sani, through Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, conveyed his sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and promised to assist the family of the deceased.