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In a tragic accident, a Nigerian army drone strike has killed at least 85 civilians who were observing a Muslim festival in the north-western state of Kaduna. The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the drone mistakenly targeted the village of Tudun Biri, where residents had gathered for the Maulud celebration.
According to local reports, the drone strike caused widespread panic and chaos, with many villagers fleeing the area in fear of further attacks. Army officials and representatives from the Kaduna state government have met with village elders to express their condolences and promise compensation for those affected.
The Nigerian military has acknowledged responsibility for the strike, stating that it was carrying out “a routine mission against terrorists” but inadvertently affected members of the community. The military has not provided an official casualty figure or explained how the accident happened, but local residents have reported 85 fatalities, including many women and children.
The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation from across Nigeria, with many calling for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a probe into the incident, and the Kaduna state governor has vowed to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies.
This is not the first time that Nigerian military airstrikes have resulted in civilian casualties. In September 2021, at least 20 fishers were killed and several injured in an attack in Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad in the north-east, when the military mistook them for militants. In January 2017, at least 112 people were killed when a fighter jet struck a camp housing 40,000 people displaced by jihadist violence in the town of Rann near the border with Cameroon.
The Nigerian military has blamed “lack of appropriate marking of the area” in a report six months later. Activists have said similar incidents to the latest have failed to be investigated in the past.
Nigeria’s armed forces are backed by powers including Britain and the US, which has raised concerns about human rights abuses. The latest incident is likely to further strain these relationships and raise questions about the effectiveness of Western military support for Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations.
