An Islamic college schoolteacher, Masud Abdulrasheed, is suffering to return to phrases with the killing of his seven-year-old daughter in drone moves by way of Nigeria’s army right through a non secular pageant of their massive however in moderation populated village precisely a 12 months in the past.

The army mentioned the bombing was once led to by way of “a failure of intelligence”, the military to mistake the open-air pageant in Tudunbiri for a meeting of jihadist combatants.

“The incident of December 3rd, 2023 was a great tragedy that shouldn’t have happened,” army spokesman Maj-Gen Edward Buba informed the BBC. “The armed forces regret that incident. And if we could bring the lives lost back, we would.”

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About 85 society have been killed, together with Mr Abdulrasheed’s slight daughter Habeebah, when unmanned drones dropped two bombs at the village in northern Kaduna condition.

“The first bomb dropped on us at around 10 pm, close to a tree where women and children were seated,” Mr Abdulrasheed recalled. “We ran for safety, but moments later we gathered to help those injured and also called for help, but the second bomb was dropped and it killed more people.”

Mr Abdulrasheed described Habeebah as “the most caring among my children”.

“She would always give me whatever gift she was given, even if I didn’t need it,” he informed the BBC.

The 36-year-old was once one of the crucial organisers of the yearly pageant, referred to as Maulud, held to proclaim the start of Prophet Muhammad.

A lot of his scholars have been killed within the tragedy.

“We saw dead bodies all over the place as if they were sleeping. Body parts were strewn around the tree branches and rooftops. We had to pack them inside sacks and buried all the dead in a mass grave.

“There’s not anything extra horrendous than sight society you invited for a birthday party coming to satisfy their finish. I’m so disheartened,” Mr Abdulrasheed said.

As the father of four spoke to the BBC, he sat his second daughter, Zaharau, beside him on a mat outside their home. He gently pulled up her top to show a wound on her stomach.

Kaduna condition governor Uba Sani informed the BBC that he would glance into the plight of villagers like Ms Buhari.

“Thank you BBC for this information. I will personally go back to Tudunbiri, and if I find people that still need treatment, I will take care of it,” he promised.

“The instruction I gave was that all the injured should be treated and none of them should be discharged until they are fully recovered,” he added.

Undeterred by way of terminating 12 months’s tragedy, the Muslim devoted in Tudunbiri celebrated the pageant once more this 12 months, however held it two months previous.

The pace additionally marked the settingup of a mosque the government have constructed for them over the bomb website online, as a mode of reimbursement.

Mr Abdulrasheed acts because the mosque’s imam as the former one was once killed within the wind moves.

“We are happy about the new mosque, but we can never forget what happened,” Mr Abdulrasheed informed the BBC. “Any time I come here, I always remember that day, and I feel depressed. As we celebrate this year’s Maulud, we also mourn those that we lost.”

For years, Nigeria’s army has been scuffling with armed jihadists and criminals, who raid villages and abduct society for ransom in portions of the north.

This has resulted in an upsurge in wind moves aimed toward focused on them.

The Nigerian Breeze Pressure has received “a multitude” of unused airplane, the writer of Defence Internet, Man Martin, informed the BBC.

This integrated Chinese language-built unmanned aerial automobiles (UAVs), often referred to as drones.

“Chinese UAVs are cheaper, making them more accessible. Nearly a third of African countries have acquired UAVs, mainly from Turkey and China,” Mr Martin mentioned, stating that it was once moves from UAVs that led to the situation in Tudunbiri.

“Intelligence failure, poor coordination, and inadequate operator training are some of the reasons for erroneous strikes. The rapid deployment of UAV technology often outpaces the development of proper training and engagement protocols for military personnel,” Mr Martin added.

Maj-Gen Buba informed the BBC that the army had discovered itself working in a “challenging and complex” operational shape.

“But we have grown in our equipment holding and in our deployments of more experienced commanders and troops,” he mentioned.

In line with consulting company SBM Perception, the Nigerian Breeze Pressure performed 17 unintended wind moves between January 2017 and September 2024, killing greater than 500 society.

“One mistake is enough; when we see hundreds being killed in erroneous attacks, we should be concerned,” Human Rights Keep an eye on (HRW) Nigeria researcher Anietie Ewang mentioned.

In reaction, Maj-Gen Buba mentioned that rights campaigners will have to “give us more credit for being more transparent, for working with the people, and for being more accountable for our actions, as was revealed particularly during the Tudunbiri incident”.

“We will do everything possible to ensure that this never happens [again],” Maj-Gen Buba added.

He mentioned that two military staff have been being court-martialled over the incident and era the case was once nonetheless in move, the army had redeployed them and relieved them in their command.

Each the federal and condition executive have additionally unveiled construction tasks for the village as a part of efforts to turn regret for the deaths, with Sani telling the BBC that the development of a medical institution and abilities acquisition centre was once nearly whole.

“We have been supporting the people of Tudunbiri, and we will continue to do that,” he mentioned.

“They are my people,” the governor added.

However in a ruthless irony, greater than 20 society within the village reported that their garden were confiscated for the tasks.

They come with 50-year-old Hashim Abdullahi, who informed the BBC: “I am not happy because this hospital has taken my means of livelihood and I was not compensated. I have been rendered jobless and can’t provide for my family.”

In reaction, Sani mentioned: “For the people that genuinely have land, the department of land in Kaduna is working with the head of the community to ensure that the right people are given their land back.”

Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima additionally visited the village following the killings, promising – together with the condition executive – justice and monetary reimbursement.

Community have been informed they’d obtain 2.5 million naira ($1,500; £1,180) for every particular person killed of their folk, era the ones injured have been introduced about 750,000 naira ($500).

“It is a difference that authorities actually carried out compensation this time around, but there is a sense that it has been very arbitrary,” Ms Ewang mentioned.

“We need to see the authorities take much-needed action towards justice, accountability, and compensation for victims in all of the other incidents of air strikes where they have accepted it was an error,” she added.

Ms Buhari informed the BBC that her folk had gained the 7.5 million naira for her 3 brothers who have been killed, and he or she were given 750,000 naira for her accidents – regardless that this was once now not enough quantity.

“I usually buy drugs at a pharmacy to dress the wound because that’s all I can afford to do now. The hospital doesn’t attend to us any more. Sometimes the pain would be very severe for weeks,” she mentioned.

“We hope the government will come to our aid again so that I can get proper care for my arm. I can’t wait to use it again,” Ms Buhari added.

Mr Abdulrasheed informed the BBC he had now not gained monetary reimbursement for the wounds suffered by way of his four-year-old.

“I always feel worried when I look at her condition,” he mentioned.

He mentioned he had gained the overall monetary reimbursement for the dying of his seven-year-old, however deny sum of money may substitute her.

“Every time I visit the grave site, I remember those we used to live together with but now they are no more. I miss them all. I miss my daughter.”

Alternative reporting by way of the BBC’s Yusuf Akinpelu.