President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed that any person found wanting in the drone bombing that killed over 100 people at Tudun Biri village of Kaduna State will be punished accordingly.
The president, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, shortly after visiting the victims at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital to condole them over the unfortunate incident, also gave assurance that all the victims will be cared for under the FULAKO Initiative which will commence this month.
The FULAKO Initiative is the President’s unique response as a non-kinetic solution to the challenges in the North West.
Shettima said the community will be the first to be rebuilt under the new initiative, adding that the federal government remains committed to the fight against banditry across the region.
“The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent us to commiserate with the people of Kaduna over the tragic incident. The calibre of people that are here with me is a testimony on how deeply touched the president was by the incident.
“The president was deeply touched by what happened. We would like to assure the people and government of Kaduna State that the government will take measures to protect and preserve the interest of our nation.
The victims will be well taken care of under the FULAKO Initiative which will commence by this month and this community will be the first to be rebuilt in the North West zone.
“All measures will be taken to ensure that future occurrence are averted. Government will go to the root of the issue and anyone found culpable will be punished accordingly,” he said.
According to him, the president is deeply concerned and deeply touched by what happened.
“Like the late Dele Giwa rightly said, ‘you don’t talk about the numbers, one life lost in cold blood is as gruesome as a million lost’. The heart of the president is with the bereaved families.
“The president called me more than 17 times on this matter when he was outside the country. As directed by Mr President, an investigation is being conducted with a view to preventing recurrence of the incident and we expect the report to be submitted very soon,” Shettima stated.
The vice president expressed gratitude to religious and community leaders who served as stabilising forces in this trying moment, adding that some persons tried to make political capital out of the incident but that the community and religious leaders “chose to act in the path of decency, on the path of moderation, on the path of maturity and we cannot but thank them profusely.”
He went on: “Most importantly, the president has approved the commencement of the FULAKO Initiative by next month. Beneficiary states are Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, and for the purpose of equity and justice, we deliberately included Niger and Benue States.
Now, the president has directed that the FULAKO Initiative should be kick-started here in Kaduna State, and Tudun Biri will be the first benefitting community.
“Under the initiative, we are going to build houses, clinics, schools, veterinary hospitals, empowerment initiatives, solar energy and so on. It is a complete package of solutions; non-kinetic responses to the problems of banditry and kidnapping in the North West.
“I can assure you that the President means well for the North. The president means well for the nation,” Shettima said.
Vice President Shettima commended the governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, for bringing the religious leaders together under one umbrella, saying that it goes to prove the saying that what bound the people of the two main faiths were more than what divides them,
The vice president was accompanied by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; minister of defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and the All Progressives Congress’ national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, among other government officials.
