Loading AI tools
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.
| Tudun Biri drone strike | |
|---|---|
| Part of Nigerian bandit conflict | |
| Location | Tudun Biri, Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| Date | 3 December 2023 |
Attack type | Accidental drone strike |
| Deaths | 120+ (per Amnesty International Nigeria)[1] 88+ (per Nigerian authorities)[2] |
| Perpetrator |  Nigerian Air Force |
In their campaigns against bandits and jihadist activity in northern Nigeria, drones have been heavily used by the Nigerian government.[3] These have led to airstrikes on civilian centers with heavy casualties, including an attack in Nasarawa State in January that killed 39 civilians.[4] A drone strike in Kaduna State in March 2023 killed three others in Sabon Gida.[5] Survivors of the attack stated that no bandits were in Tudun Biri, and the one time there was a bandit, he was disowned.[6]
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.[5] A survivor of the attacks stated, "I was just standing when I head loud sounds of bombs."[6] Immediately after the attacks, the survivors fled in every direction, sleeping in the woods that night.[6]
The Nigerian Air Force initially denied responsibility for the attacks, but later admitted that 85 people were killed.[5] This number was stated by Kaduna State governor Uba Sani and the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency.[1][2] Amnesty International's Nigeria office, citing locals, stated that 120 people were killed in the attack.[1] Most of the dead were children.[1]
Fifty bodies were buried on the first day, and the remaining bodies were buried in a mass burial on December 5.[6] In May 2024 it was announced that two military officers would face court martial as a result of the investigation into this incident.[7]
Reactions
President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences for the victims, and ordered an investigation into the airstrike.[8] Nigerian Army chief of staff Taoreed Lagbaja attended the funeral and echoed Tinubu's sentiments.[6]
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
