Civilians Mistakenly Killed in Nigerian Military Drone Strike

An army drone strike hit a village in northwestern Nigeria, killing dozens of civilians celebrating a Muslim festival. The military often uses air strikes against bandit militias in the northwest and northeast of the country, where jihadists have been waging a 14-year conflict.

The strike occurred in Tudun Biri village, Kaduna State, and local authorities reported fatalities. The military did not provide details or a death toll for the attack, but residents said dozens were killed and wounded.

Militia gangs, known locally as bandits, have long terrorised parts of northwest Nigeria, operating from bases deep in forests and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom.

In the northeast, jihadists have been pushed back from the territory they held at the height of the conflict, though they continue to fight on. More than 40,000 people have been killed and two million displaced since 2009.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made tackling insecurity a priority since coming to office in May, as he seeks to encourage foreign investment in Africa’s most populous country.

Previous military bombing raids have caused civilian casualties in the past, such as a September 2021 attack in Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad, and a January 2017 attack in Rann near the border with Cameroon.