A tragic incident occurred in Kaduna, where an air strike by the Nigerian Army intended for terrorists accidentally hit civilians during a religious celebration. The death toll has risen to 120, according to Amnesty International. Survivors claim they were bombed twice.
The Army, while taking responsibility, explained it mistook villagers for bandits. Condemnations came from groups like the Arewa Consultative Forum and Jama’tu Nasril Islam, demanding punishment for those responsible.
Amnesty International reported more than 120 deaths, contradicting the National Emergency Management Agency’s figure of 85. The affected communities are receiving assistance, but discrepancies in casualty figures have caused confusion.
The Arewa Consultative Forum called the incident “horrific” and demanded an apology and a thorough investigation. The Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar mourned the victims, emphasizing the concerning trend of miscalculated air strikes.
The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum urged professionalism in the fight against banditry, while Transparency International called for sanctions on security agencies involved, criticizing their intelligence failures. The military promised an investigation but didn’t specify the timeline.