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Reports from Kaduna state, northwest Nigeria, indicate a devastating incident during a Muslim religious celebration that resulted in the loss of at least 85 civilian lives in an airstrike. The local emergency management authority confirmed the casualties, with over 60 individuals admitted to hospitals for treatment following the Sunday evening tragedy.
President Bola Tinubu described the event as a “bombing mishap,” refraining from specifying the death toll, while State Governor Uba Sani acknowledged that civilians were “mistakenly killed” by a military drone targeting terrorists and bandits in the area.
Expressing regret over the “needless tragedy,” Nigeria’s defence ministry attributed the incident to a routine mission against militants that inadvertently affected members of the community.
The unfortunate airstrike occurred as villagers from Tundun Biri congregated for a religious festival. Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, the head of the army, visited the village to convey apologies and condolences, acknowledging the military’s wrongful analysis and misinterpretation of the villagers’ activities.
President Tinubu has called for a comprehensive investigation into the incident, urging calm while authorities diligently look into the mishap. Similarly, the governor has advocated for an inquiry into the tragedy.
The National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that 85 bodies have been buried, with ongoing search operations. Tragically, casualties included children, women, and the elderly, reflecting the indiscriminate nature of the airstrike’s impact.
Eyewitness accounts detailed the horror, with one individual mentioning two attacks that resulted in numerous casualties. Another witness described the scene, mentioning women holding their babies and the heartbreaking loss of lives, including infants alongside their mothers.
This tragic event adds to previous accusations against Nigeria’s military for causing civilian casualties while engaging militia gangs, known as bandits, in the north-west region. Despite government categorization of these groups as “terrorists,” incidents of accidental strikes have resulted in over 300 deaths since 2017, according to a report by SB Morgen, a research firm. Notably, in 2021, a Nigerian fighter jet strike on a jihadist camp in the northeast led to the accidental deaths of at least 20 fishermen.
The incident underscores the urgency for thorough investigations and measures to prevent such heartbreaking tragedies in the future, prompting calls for accountability and heightened caution during military operations to safeguard civilian lives.
