ABUJA: At least 85 people have been confirmed dead after a "mistaken" army drone attack on a religious gathering in northwest Nigeria, authorities said. The president on Tuesday ordered a probe into the latest in a series of mistakes in Nigeria's conflict zones. "Eighty-five dead bodies have so far been buried while (a) search is still ongoing," Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that listed children, women and the elderly among the victims. At least 66 people were injured.
Since 2017, some 400 civilians have been killed by airstrikes the military said were targeting armed groups in the deadly security crisis in the country's north, according to the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm. The victims were observing the Muslim holiday celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, Mawlid al-Nabi. They were killed on Sunday by drones "targeting terrorists and bandits" in Kaduna state's Tudun Biri village, according to security officials. "The incidence of miscalculated airstrikes is assuming a worrisome dimension in the country," said Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's former vice-president. Nigeria's military often conducts air raids as it fights the extremist violence and rebel attacks that have destabilised Nigeria's north for more than a decade, often leaving civilian casualties in its wake, including in January when dozens were killed in Nasarawa state and in December 2022 when dozens also died in Zamfara state.