Residents in north-west of the country say many victims of strike during Muslim festival were women and children

A Nigerian army drone strike accidentally killed at least 85 civilians observing a Muslim festival in the north-west on Sunday, the country’s armed forces have admitted.

Villagers in Tudun Biri in the state of Kaduna had gathered for the Maulud celebration when at about 9pm they heard what sounded like an aeroplane followed by a huge explosion.

We couldn’t even run,” Danjuma Salisu, a survivor, said from his hospital bed, where he was being treated for hand and leg injuries.

According to local reports, villagers fled the area, fearing further strikes. The Nigerian army chief, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, visited Tudun Biri and apologised for the air strike, along with representatives from the Kaduna state government who met village elders and promised that those affected would be compensated.

The incident highlights a pattern of deadly aerial assaults by the Nigerian military as it targets with aerial strikes armed gangs responsible for kidnappings and killings in the north-west of the country.

The army said it had been carrying out “a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently affected members of the community”. It did not give casualty figures or explain how the accident had happened but local residents said 85 people, many of them women and children, had been killed. Some witnesses said the death toll was higher.

Idris Dahiru, a villager, said: “I was inside the house when the first bomb was dropped … We rushed to the scene to help those affected and then a second bomb was dropped.

My aunt, my brother’s wife and her six children, wives of my four brothers were among the dead. My elder brother’s family are all dead, except his infant child who survived. We buried 85 people that were killed in the bomb attack.”

Dahiru said more than 60 injured people were in hospital.

Another resident, Husseini Ibrahim, told Agence France-Presse (AFP): “I lost 13 members of my immediate family among the 85 that were killed. They included my children and those of my brothers, seven boys and six girls. We buried the victims today.”

Many of the victims were women and children, Hassan Ma’aruf, another resident, told AFP, sharing images he said showed the bodies.

The national emergency management agency said in a statement: “The Northwest Zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing.”

The Nigerian presidency said: “President Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives.” The president, who is attending the Cop28 Climate Summit in Dubai, has ordered an investigation into what happened.

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Estab lishment – Watch video here 

Follow us on Social Media , just type “HICGI News Agency”