Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into the military drone strike that killed at least 88 people during a festival in Kaduna state.
The nation's Army mistakenly killed the victims in what was called an accidental strike on Sunday night in the village of Tudun Biri. It was the area where civilians had gathered to observe a Muslim holiday celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, Mawlid al-Nabi.
Accidental Nigerian Drone Strike
The country's National Emergency Management Agency announced that following the two airstrikes, roughly 88 people were discovered to have been killed. It added that at least 68 others suffered injuries of varying degrees.
The agency called it a "tragic accident," adding that the casualties included children, women, and older people. The people who were killed were from four different communities who traveled to the village.
One eyewitness described the events of the incident, saying that the aircraft dropped a bomb at the venue, which destroyed and killed people in the area. He added that the second bomb was dropped on some of the people who went to carry the dead bodies of the victims from the first blast, as per ABC News.
The Nigerian Army later expressed regret for the accidental drone strike and said that its troops "wrongly analyzed and misinterpreted" activities in the village. It added that military troops carried out aerial patrols when they observed the group gathered in the area. They supposedly mistakenly thought they were bandits.
On Tuesday, Nigeria's chief of army staff paid a condolence visit to the affected Tudun Biri. They traveled to the region to convey the Army's "sincere regrets and unreserved apologies" to the community.
In a statement, Kaduna State Gov. Dr. Jadiza Balarabe said injured civilians have been evacuated to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital to treat their wounds. Across the country, anger has swelled after the incident, with some going to social media to question how the error could have occurred.
At Least 88 Dead
A resident, Jabir Ibrahim, owns a farm near the site of the accidental drone strike. He said the government was making empty promises with its call to investigate the incident. According to the Voice of America News, he argued that nothing would happen, saying that it was an unnecessary thing used to calm people down.
Human rights group Amnesty International argued that Nigerian authorities have reneged on past promises made to families of errant military bombing. The group's conflict researcher, Aminu Hayatu said that it was becoming an impunity for the nation's government not to hold those who do such acts accountable.
More often than not, the Nigerian military relies on air strikes in their battle against so-called bandit militias in the northwest and northeast of the nation. These are the areas where jihadists have been fighting for more than a decade.
The president's office released a statement from Tinubu describing the incident as unfortunate, disturbing, and painful. He also expressed anger and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives as a result of the bombing, said France24.
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