Amnesty International Nigeria has leveled serious allegations against Nigerian authorities in the aftermath of the Kaduna drone attack, where more than 120 civilians lost their lives.
Issuing a statement on December 7, Isa Sanusi, director of the rights organization, sharply criticized the military for offering conflicting accounts of the Tudun Biri incident. The tragic event resulted in numerous casualties and injuries after drones owned by the Nigerian Army misfired.
Discrepancies emerged as the Nigerian Army’s Kaduna division attributed the incident to a mistake, while the Defence Headquarters suggested that suspected bandits had intermixed with civilians, leading to the devastating outcome.
Sanusi condemned the military’s contradictory narratives, accusing them of attempting to obfuscate the incident without conducting a thorough investigation or seeking justice for the deceased. He strongly decried the disregard for civilian lives and labeled the increasingly routine deadly airstrikes on civilians as wholly unacceptable.
Directing blame at the Nigerian authorities, Sanusi highlighted that the military’s reckless actions stemmed from the consistent failure to hold them accountable for a series of atrocities. Urging President Bola Tinubu to promptly initiate an investigative panel for ensuring justice for the victims, Sanusi emphasized the dire need for accountability.
Sanusi underscored that the Nigerian military’s actions were intolerable, hinting at authorities’ attempts to mask severe human rights violations. He highlighted the alarming pattern of unchecked military operations resulting in civilian casualties, emphasizing the escalating danger faced by those meant to be protected by the military.
In stark contrast, Vice President Kashim Shettima urged the victims to move beyond their loss, stating, “There is no benefit in dwelling excessively on this incident.”
