AMNESTY International has condemned the Nigerian military for the inadvertent airstrike that killed over 85 residents and injured numerous others on Sunday in Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State’s Igabi Local Government Area.
The “persistent unlawful killings of civilians” by military air attacks were described as “unacceptable” by the rights group.
Amnesty International accused the Nigerian military of covering up the incident and demanded that justice be done.
“The Nigerian military has since put out two contradictory explanations. An initial statement by the Nigerian army in Kaduna said the air strike was a mistake. This was followed by a statement from Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters claiming that suspected bandits had embedded with civilians.
The victims were buried in two mass graves on 4 December 2023.
“The Nigerian military’s recklessness is a result of the authorities’ consistent failure to hold them to account for a long list of such atrocities. These unlawful killings of civilians cannot be swept under the carpet,” said Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi.
According to Amnesty International, the President Bola Tinubu administration must immediately establish an independent investigation into the Tudun Biri village air strike and, if the investigations reveal criminal responsibility, ensure that those suspected of being responsible are brought to account in fair trials. “Victims and their families must be provided with access to justice and effective remedies,” it said.
Amnesty International stated that air strikes with devastating repercussions for civilians are becoming routine, and this heinous trend must be stopped.
On December 18, 2022, a Nigerian Air Force air attack in Mutumji village, Zamfara state, killed 64 persons. On January 24, 2023, a military air strike in the Doma district of Nasarawa state killed about 40 herders.
In January 2023, a military air attack in Galadima Kogo, Niger state, central Nigeria, killed hundreds of vigilantes. This is the deadliest air strike since the one on Rann village in 2017, which killed 115 civilians.
