2 Nigerian soldiers face court-martial over airstrike that killed 85 civilians

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) - Two Nigerian soldiers are facing a court-martial over a 2023 airstrike that killed 85 civilians in northwestern Nigeria’s Tudun Biri, defense forces media chief said Friday.

Speaking to journalists in the capital Abuja, Director of Defense Media Operations Edward Buba said that on Dec. 3, 2023, some 85 civilians were killed in a military drone attack at Tudun Biri, which is part of the Igabi Local Government Area, in northwestern Nigeria’s Kaduna State.

He said the military would punish the personnel responsible for the incident following an investigation that would ensure justice.

“The military has conducted a painstaking investigation into the incident and has initiated disciplinary action against those culpable,” Buba said.

“Accordingly, the affected personnel are to face a court-martial for acts of omission or commission concerning the incident,” he added.

The killing took place after the drone reportedly detected the movement of individuals, suspected to be bandits, during an operation. After monitoring their movements, which were incorrectly determined as “tactics employed by the bandits,” the troops carried out a strike that killed 85 people.

Subsequent reports, however, revealed that the strike had targeted innocent civilians.

President Bola Tinubu, who immediately extended his sympathies to the people of Kaduna, described the incident at the time as “very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful,” directing an immediate investigation.