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Revision as of 15:14, 8 December 2023 by Tigerdude9 (talk | contribs) (→Background: Translated title.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 2023 fatal Nigerian military action| Tudun Biri drone strike | |
|---|---|
| Part of Nigerian bandit conflict | |
| Location | Tudun Biri, Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| Date | December 3, 2023 |
| Attack type | Accidental drone strike |
| Deaths | 120+ (per Amnesty International Nigeria) 88+ (per Nigerian authorities) |
| Perpetrator |  Nigerian Air Force |
On 3 December 2023, a drone strike was carried out by the Nigerian Armed Forces on Tudun Biri, Kaduna State. Targeting what they thought was a group of bandits, the army mistakenly hit a village, killing at least 88 civilians.
Background
In their campaigns against bandits and jihadist activity in northern Nigeria, drones have been heavily used by the Nigerian government. These have led to airstrikes on civilian centers with heavy casualties, including an attack in Nasarawa State in January that killed 39 civilians. A drone strike in Kaduna State in March 2023 killed three others in Sabon Gida. Survivors of the attack stated that no bandits were in Tudun Biri, and the one time there was a bandit, he was disowned.
Strike
The drone strike occurred as the villagers were celebrating Mawlid, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. A Nigerian drone flying overhead in routine counter-terrorism operations mistook the movements of the civilians for bandits, and the Nigerian Air Force called in an airstrike on the village. A survivor of the attacks stated that "I was just standing when I head loud sounds of bombs." Immediately after the attacks, the survivors fled in every direction, sleeping in the woods that night.
The Nigerian Air Force initially denied responsibility for the attacks, but later admitted that 85 people were killed. This number was stated by Kaduna State governor Uba Sani and the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency. Amnesty International's Nigeria office, citing locals, stated that 120 people were killed in the attack. Most of the dead were children.
Aftermath
Fifty bodies were buried on the first day, and the remaining bodies were buried in a mass burial on December 5.
Reactions
President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences for the victims, and ordered an investigation into the airstrike. Nigerian Army chief of staff Taoreed Lagbaja attended the funeral and echoed Tinubu's sentiments.
References
- ^ "Nigerian military drone attack kills 85 civilians in error". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- ^ Ogao, Emma. "88 dead after military drone mistakenly strikes festival in Nigeria's Kaduna State, local officials say". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- "'Dole a hukunta wadanda suka hari ta sama a jihar Kaduna'" ['Those who carried out aerial attacks in Kaduna state must be punished']. BBC News Hausa (in Hausa). 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- "Nigeria: No Justice for Civilians Killed in Airstrike | Human Rights Watch". 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- ^ Torelli, Chiara (2023-12-06). "Kaduna: 85 civilians killed, 66 injured in mistaken Nigerian air strike during religious celebrations in Tudun Biri village, 3 Dec". AOAV. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- ^ Isenyo, Godwin (2023-12-05). "We thought terrorists were raining bombs – Kaduna community attack survivors". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- "Tinubu ya ce a gudanar da bincike kan harin da ya kashe masu Mauludi a Kaduna" [Tinubu said that there should be an investigation into the attack that killed the Mauludi people in Kaduna]. RFI (in Hausa). 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.