The military has explained away its killing of over 85 civilians in Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday in an air raid.
The victims had gathered for Maulud, the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday when bullets fired at them from aircraft killed scores of them and injured many others.
In a statement in which it owned up to the mass murder, the Army ascribed the situation to a mistaken identity, saying it thought the celebrants were terrorists.
The statement released by its Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba read in part, “On December 3, 2023, at about 2200hrs and based on untoward activities of terrorists. The NA UAV detachment observed the movement of terrorists at Ligarma, a terrorist-infested area of Kaduna State.
“Aerial surveillance captured the movement of groups of persons synonymous with the terrorist tactics and modus operandi.
“The observed advance of the terrorists that were gathered posed a threat to key infrastructure within reach of the untoward activities. Accordingly, the threat was eliminated to prevent the terrorists from unleashing terror on innocent civilians.”
Continued: “It should be noted that terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centres for the civilian population to bear the consequences of their atrocities. Nevertheless, the Nigerian military does its best at all times to distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
“The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy. Such tragedies are needless and unwanted, that cause the armed forces to take extensive measures to avoid them.”
