At least 85 civilians killed by a Nigerian army drone attack, in the latest such deadly mistake

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Officials in Nigeria say at least 85 civilians were killed when a military drone mistakenly targeted a religious gathering in the country’s northwest. At least 66 people were injured in the attack Sunday in Kaduna state. Nigeria’s army chief visited the affected village Tuesday and apologized for the strike that he said killed innocent civilians based on a wrong analysis. The president has ordered an investigation into the latest of a series of failed aerial assaults in the conflict zone. The Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm says that some 400 civilians have been killed since 2017 by airstrikes the military said were targeting armed groups. Rights groups says the country’s security agencies lack accountability.