120 fatalities reported as Kaduna village bombing aftermath includes mass burials for the victims

The death toll resulting from the unintended bombing of Tudun Biri community in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State has risen to 120, as reported by Amnesty International. Survivors of the tragedy revealed that the military carried out two bombing attacks.

Saudatu Alamagani, a survivor who narrowly escaped the assault, recounted her harrowing experience to ThePunch. According to her, dead bodies were scattered everywhere after the military dropped bombs on the community.

Alamagani shared, “They bombed us twice. It all began around 10 pm when the military initiated the bombing of our community while we were celebrating the Maulud, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

As we sought motorcycles to transport those in urgent need of medical attention to the hospital, the military returned with another round of bombardment.

Numerous villagers, including women, men, children, and pregnant women, lost their lives in the attack. Four members of my family were among those killed, and the bodies of the deceased were strewn across the ground.”

The army has accepted responsibility for the tragedy, and the incident has sparked widespread condemnation. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) initially reported 85 casualties, but on December 5, 2023, Isah Sanusi, the Country Director of Amnesty International, disclosed that the death toll had surpassed 120.

Sanusi clarified that the casualty figure exceeded NEMA’s statement. “Based on information from our contact at the mass burial site, there were at least 77 bodies in each of the mass graves, with an additional 17 individuals from neighboring villages who perished in the tragic incident,” he stated.

Despite NEMA’s earlier casualty report, Halima Suleman, the NEMA Chief Information Officer in Kaduna, emphasized that the figures had not been updated. She explained that NEMA officials were actively engaged in the affected communities, transporting the injured to hospitals, and providing relief to the locals.

On Tuesday, a mass burial was held for about 85 victims of the incident. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, who attended the burial, offered apologies to the community and announced a comprehensive inquiry into the incident to determine its causes.

President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State have both called for thorough investigations into the tragic incident.