Survivors of the incident recounted that the military bombed them twice.
While flying over the community to flush out terrorists on Sunday, December 3, 2023, the Nigerian Army mistakenly dropped bombs on the villagers during a religious celebration.
The army has claimed responsibility for the tragedy as the incident continues to attract more condemnation across the country.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had earlier night put the casualty figure at 85, but on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Isah Sanusi, said over 120 persons died in the incident.
“I can confirm to you that the current number of casualties in the affected areas is more than 120 persons,” he said.
Sanusi explained that the casualty figure is higher than what the NEMA stated.
“According to our contact who was at the scene of the mass burial, there were at least 77 dead bodies in each of the mass graves. There also 17 other persons who are from adjoining villages who lost their lives in the ugly incident,” he said.
However, the NEMA Chief Information Officer in Kaduna, Halima Suleman, who spoke to ThePunch on the casualty figure said the number the agency released on Monday had not been updated.
She said NEMA officials were in the affected communities, taking the injured to hospitals and providing relief for other locals.
“We are, of course, intervening in the communities, because our officials are on the ground there today. They took some persons to hospitals, provided relief items and gave moral support,” Suleman said.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, have called for thorough investigations into the incident.
