Amnesty International Nigeria has accused the Nigerian military of attempting to cover up the mass killing of over 120 civilians in two military air strikes that took place on Sunday.
The human rights organization is urging the Nigerian authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent, and effective investigation into the incident.
The tragic events unfolded around 10 pm on December 3 when the Nigerian military launched an air strike on a religious gathering in Tudun Biri, a village near Kaduna in northern Nigeria.
A second air strike occurred approximately 30 minutes later, resulting in the deaths of dozens, including individuals who rushed to the scene to rescue victims from the initial strike.
The Nigerian military has released two conflicting explanations regarding the incident.
Initially, the Nigerian army in Kaduna claimed the air strike was a mistake, followed by a statement from Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters alleging that suspected bandits had embedded themselves among civilians.
The victims, numbering over 120, were laid to rest in two mass graves on December 4, 2023.
Amnesty International found that 77 individuals were buried in one of the mass graves, while over 17 attendees from a nearby village who participated in the religious ceremony were also interred.
Dozens of severely injured individuals are currently receiving treatment at Kaduna’s main hospital.
Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, expressed concern over the Nigerian military’s actions, stating, “The Nigerian military’s recklessness is a result of the authorities’ consistent failure to hold them to account for a long list of such atrocities.
These unlawful killings of civilians cannot be swept under the carpet.”
Amnesty International pointed out that the contradictory explanations provided by the Nigerian military reveal a disregard for civilian lives and suggest attempts by the authorities to cover up serious human rights violations.
The organization emphasized the need for a transparent investigation and called on the President Bola Tinubu administration to promptly establish an independent inquiry into the Tudun Biri village air strike.
Highlighting a pattern of similar incidents, Amnesty International cited previous air strikes, including one in Mutumji village in Zamfara state in December 2022, another in Doma region of Nasarawa state in January 2023, and an incident in Galadima Kogo in Niger state in the same month.
The organization noted that the Nigerian military has consistently failed to thoroughly investigate these incidents, fostering an environment of impunity.
Isa Sanusi warned, “The Nigerian authorities’ persistent failure to hold the military to account is encouraging impunity and increasingly endangering the lives of the civilians the military is supposed to be protecting.
“The result is that the military is routinely carrying out air strikes that end up killing civilians.”
The recent incident in Tudun Biri marks the deadliest air strike since the 2017 air strike on Rann village, which claimed the lives of 115 civilians.
Amnesty International calls for accountability, justice, and effective remedies for the victims and their families, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these grave human rights violations.
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