Amnesty International, a global human rights organisation, has criticised the Nigerian military for the unintentional bombing at Tudun Biri village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday that resulted in the deaths of over 85 villagers and the injuries of several more. The organisation also called for an end to the “persistent unlawful killings of civilians” by military air strikes, calling them “unacceptable.”
Amnesty International demanded that the President Bola Tinubu administration immediately establish an independent investigation into the Tudun Biri village air strike and, in cases where these investigations reveal criminal responsibility, ensure that those suspected of being responsible are brought to justice in fair trials. Amnesty International accused the Nigerian military of covering up the attack. The group declared, “Juveniles and their families must have access to justice and effective remedies.”
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According to Amnesty, airstrikes that result in civilian deaths are growing more commonplace and this terrible trend needs to be reversed.
“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.
