ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigeria’s military has defended a controversial airstrike on a market near the Borno-Yobe border, insisting the operation targeted a terrorist enclave, even as outrage mounts over reports of heavy civilian casualties.
The strike, carried out on Saturday under Operation HADIN KAI, hit Jilli village market in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, triggering conflicting casualty figures and widespread condemnation from stakeholders.
While local sources put the death toll at over 40 civilians, other accounts suggest the number could be significantly higher, highlighting ongoing confusion over the true scale of the tragedy.
However, the military maintained that the location was a legitimate target, describing it as a logistics hub and convergence point for fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province.
In a statement on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said the strike followed sustained intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations tracking suspected terrorists.
“The Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, in a carefully, well-coordinated, planned, and intelligence-driven operation, has successfully conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.
“The successful strike, executed on 11 April, 2026, followed sustained intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul-Jilli axis, an area long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators,” he said.
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Uba recalled earlier attacks in the area, including an Improvised Explosive Device incident in January 2026 that killed eight soldiers and wounded several others.
He explained that intelligence reports on April 11 indicated movements of gun trucks and motorcycles converging on the location, which were later confirmed by human intelligence sources.
“Consequently, ISR coverage over the area was immediately intensified. During the surveillance mission, a contingent of motorcycles was observed moving in the direction of Jilli, followed shortly by the movement of several additional vehicles, all converging on the same location.
“These suspicious movements were subsequently corroborated by credible human intelligence sources, confirming that the converging elements were terrorists, their collaborators, and logistics handlers,” he added.
According to him, the military followed a “rigorous and professional targeting process” before executing what he described as precision strikes.
“Upon final validation, the Air Component executed a series of precision strikes on the objective, while surveillance platforms maintained continuous overwatch for real-time battle damage assessment,” he said.
He added that several terrorists were neutralised, with vehicles destroyed and surviving elements fleeing.
Despite the military’s defence, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that civilians, including traders, were affected in what it described as an accidental strike.
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“The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency wishes to inform the general public that it has received preliminary reports of an incident on Saturday evening at Jilli Saturday Market which reportedly resulted in casualties affecting some traders,” the agency said.
It added that emergency teams had been deployed following directives from Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, acknowledged the incident, describing the market as a long-standing hub used by insurgents.
“I have been properly briefed on the airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on Jilli market… Let me state categorically that the Borno State Government closed Jilli and Gazabure markets five years ago,” he said.
Zulum warned residents against aiding insurgents, stressing that the government maintains coordination with security agencies before reopening such locations.
Similarly, the Yobe State Government confirmed that although the target was a Boko Haram stronghold, civilians were inadvertently hit, with injured victims responding to treatment.
Rights group Amnesty International condemned the strike, describing it as reckless and calling for an independent investigation.
“Launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone’s standard. Such reckless use of deadly force is unlawful, outrageous and lays bare the Nigerian military’s shocking disregard for the lives of those it supposedly exists to protect.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and impartially investigate the incident and ensure that suspected perpetrators are held to account, AI said.