At the burial of the dead in the community
Accidental discharge: Mourning pervades Kaduna village as residents bury 85
The Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State is still enveloped by mourning as residents buried 85 civilians killed by Nigerian Army drones in the village.
The Army said the drones were aimed at armed groups, but they accidently struck the Tudun Biri village as residents were celebrating a religious holiday.
Although the Army did not give any casualty figures, but local residents said at least 85 people were killed on Sunday, many of them women, children, and elderly, who had been feasting for the Muslim festival of Maulud.
“I was at home when I heard a sound,” Ashiru Ibrahim, a local, told RFI’s correspondent in Kaduna, Aminu Sado.
“I came out quickly and saw an explosion with many dead bodies lying on the ground,” he added. “We took those that were still alive and rushed them to a nearby hospital in Buruku. Before reaching [it], the second explosion occurred. Those who came to assist the injured ones, also died in the second explosion.”
Ibrahim lost his daughter, Aisha, in the strikes, including his two children, his uncle and many other family members.
“We were able to count eighty dead bodies,” he said. “The funeral is ongoing as we speak. We are here in the hospital with about forty-eight injured persons, including Firdausi and Sadiya Ashiru, my biological daughters.”
Another victim, Hauwa Yakubu, told RFI, “We were having a Maulud celebration, when we heard a sound of an aeroplane. Before we realised what was happening, a bomb was dropped from the air. Many people died , instantly. We were injured but managed to run for our lives, some youth came out to rescue those that were injured but unfortunately they all died in the second explosion.”
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said, however, that another 66 people are receiving treatment in hospital.
“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,” NEMA said in a statement.
Emergency officials say they are still negotiating with community leaders to calm tensions so they can reach the village.
The incident has sparked outrage among Nigerians, many of whom condemned the army for the bombing. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for a full investigation into the attack and demanded full compensation for the victims.
The accidental drone strike, initially aimed at terrorists and bandits, instead targeted civilians observing the Muslim holiday, Mawlid al-Nabi.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, the army’s commitment to preventing a recurrence is a pressing priority. However, for the victims’ families, the road to healing will be long, and the demand for accountability and justice will persist.