A tragic incident occurred on Sunday in the northwest region of Kaduna State, Nigeria, as a Nigerian army drone mistakenly carried out a strike that resulted in the death of at least 85 civilians in Tudun Biri village.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an immediate investigation following the army’s acknowledgment that one of its drones, intended for targeting armed groups, tragically hit the village during a Muslim festival celebration.
Although the army did not provide casualty figures, local reports indicate that among the deceased were many women and children. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the burial of 85 bodies, with 66 individuals currently receiving treatment at hospitals. Efforts are ongoing to calm tensions and gain access to the village for emergency aid.
Nigeria’s armed forces frequently resort to air strikes in their efforts against bandit militias in various regions, where conflicts with jihadists have persisted for over a decade.
President Tinubu expressed deep sorrow and distress over the tragic loss of lives, emphasizing the incident’s unfortunate and painful nature.
Witnesses described the devastating impact, recounting the sequence of events during the strike. Idris Dahiru, a local resident, recalled the chaos as two bombs hit the area, resulting in the loss of several family members.
Militant groups have long instilled fear in northwest Nigeria, operating from remote forest bases and conducting raids on villages for ransom and plunder.
The northeast region has also faced ongoing conflict with jihadists, although territorial gains have been made against them. However, the fight persists in rural areas, with a death toll surpassing 40,000 and two million displaced since the conflict’s escalation in 2009.
This unfortunate incident echoes previous accidental strikes on civilians by the Nigerian military, highlighting the tragic consequences of such operational errors.
In both September 2021 and January 2017, similar incidents resulted in civilian casualties due to mistaken identity and lack of proper area markings.
