Military Airstrike Death Toll Reportedly Rises To 120; Survivors Claim Army Bombed Their Village Twice

At least 120 people have died in an accidental military airstrike in Tudun Biri village in Kaduna State, according to Amnesty International.

The Nigerian army dropped a bomb on civilians celebrating a Muslim festival in Igabi on Sunday night, mistaking them for rebels. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 85 people were killed and 66 others were injured in the incident.

However, Amnesty International said the actual death toll is far higher than this number. Its volunteers met survivors on Monday, who claimed that the army bombed their village twice. One family reportedly lost 32 members.

In a statement, Amnesty International said it "strongly condemns air strikes by the Nigerian Army launched on Tudun Biri village in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State. Over 120 civilians have been killed and dozens injured. Launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone's standard."

A 45-year-old resident, identified as Saudatu Alamagani, who narrowly escaped the attack, said the army bombed the community twice. She added that the attack started at 10:00 p.m. Sunday when people were celebrating Maulud, Punch reported.

"The military started raining bombs on us," she said. The woman first thought it was bandits attacking the village.

There were dead bodies everywhere. When some community members went to find motorcycle operators to take the injured to a nearby hospital for medical care, the military once again bombed the community, she recalled.

"While we were looking for motorcycles to convey those that critically needed medical attention to the hospital, the military returned with the bombardment. Many villagers, including women, men, children, and even pregnant women, were killed during the attack," Alamagani added. "Four members of my family were killed in the attack. Some of the bodies of the dead littered the ground."

She urged the government to help the community members, especially the victims' family members.

Another resident, 60-year-old Sulaiman Umar, also said the community was bombed twice. Umar was having dinner when the attack took place. He said many people died and people could hardly identify their children from the dead bodies.

"They bombed us twice. After the first round of bombs, they came back to bomb us again," he added. "I ran into a deep forest where I slept till daybreak. We covered the dead with leaves. We separated the males from the females and covered them with leaves."

President Tinubu on Tuesday dubbed the incident "very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful." He ordered a full-fledged investigation into the incident and appealed for calm.