Obi visits Kaduna bomb victims, donates N5m

The Labour party presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, on Tuesday, visited Kaduna to commiserate with victims of the accidental bomb at Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Obi, who called for the establishment of a foundation to take care of the orphans and victims of the attack, made a personal donation of N3m for the upkeep of the victims.

He also donated N1m to the health workers working in the hospital and another N1m for miscellaneous in the hospital, making a total of N5m.

He explained that the N1 million donated to the hospital management was for the 1,000 health workers working in the hospital to take care of the bomb victims.

According to  Obi, the orphans left behind should become the responsibility of the government.

Obi, who led a delegation to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, to visit the victims, described the incident as “unfortunate” while calling on the  Federal Government and security agencies to ensure that such incidents never occur again in the country.

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.”

The PUNCH reports that the Nigerian Army claimed responsibility for the accidental bombing, which claimed over 100 lives.

Meanwhile, the Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese, Zaria in Kaduna State, Most Rev. Buba Lamido, on Tuesday, cautioned the northern political elite against politicising  the Tudun Biri village incident.

Lamido expressed concern that northerners, especially politicians from the region eyeing 2027 polls, had started politicising the incident, a situation he described as worrisome.

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.”