A Nigerian army drone strike accidentally killed at least 85 civilians on Sunday in a village in northwest Kaduna State, officials said, in one of the country’s deadliest military bombing mishaps. The army acknowledged that it had mistakenly struck the Tudun Biri village as residents were celebrating a Muslim festival. On Tuesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered an investigation, describing the incident as “very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful.” He expressed anger and grief over the loss of lives.
Civilian casualties from errant airstrikes are all too common in Nigeria, which often uses drones to bomb militant and armed group hideouts in the nation’s troubled north. The blunder in Tudun Biri, however, appears to be the first time a drone attack has killed a group of civilians who were not terrorists or armed group members.
The victims in the northern Kaduna State town of Tudun Biri were observing the Maulud, an Islamic celebration marking the birth of Prophet Muhammad, when they heard what sounded like an aircraft approaching and then a massive explosion that shattered their world. Many of them were women and children.
Residents said they were terrified and could not run because of the blast, which they believe was from a drone. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 66 people had been rescued, and the search continues for others.
It wasn’t clear who launched the drone, which was armed with two bombs and used a satellite navigation system to target specific targets, according to local media reports. But villagers blamed the military because of a recent series of attacks by armed groups, including an ambush on a train that left dozens of passengers injured and the killing of residents in a nearby town by a militia group.
The government and armed forces need to take more care with their use of drones, human rights advocates say. They should be trained better, given more access to data and information about how civilians are affected by their strikes, and ensure appropriate protocols are in place. They also need to address the issue of accountability and thorough investigation of incidents where the military harms civilians.
Nigeria’s military has faced criticism from Western allies over its handling of the crisis in its northwest and central regions, where jihadist armed groups are waging a 14-year conflict with the government. Civilians are caught in the crossfire between the government and armed groups, which have raided villages, killed civilians, attacked an Air Force fighter jet, and kidnapped citizens of all ages for ransom. The government has also been accused of ignoring evidence of abuses by its soldiers and failing to punish those responsible.
The errant drone strike in Tudun Biri is the latest such incident, which has raised questions about how effective the military is in its fight against jihadists. In the past year, at least 120 people have died in airstrikes involving drones, according to an Amnesty International estimate.
