Nigeria’s Presidency has defended the April 11 military airstrike on Jilli Market, insisting the location was a legitimate military target, even as calls for an independent investigation intensify and the death toll remains disputed.
Presidential spokesman Temitope Ajayi said the market had ceased to function as a civilian trading hub and had been taken over by insurgents operating within a supply chain for the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgency. The Presidency described the site as a logistics and trading hub used by terrorists, rejecting the narrative that civilians were the intended target.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), operating under Operation HADIN KAI, confirmed it carried out airstrikes in the Jilli axis of Borno State, describing the mission as a precision operation against a known terrorist enclave. The NAF’s Director of Public Relations, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the force treats all reports of civilian harm with utmost seriousness, and the Chief of Air Staff ordered the immediate deployment of the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell (CHAI-Cell) to conduct a fact-finding mission at the site.
The Yobe State government backed the federal position, confirming the strike was intentional and intelligence-driven. A military adviser to the Yobe State governor acknowledged that traders from Geidam Local Government Area who had travelled to the weekly market were affected by the strike.
However, accounts from the ground sharply contradict the official narrative. Witnesses said three military jets bombed the crowded market, with a local councillor and residents putting the feared death toll at up to 200, while rights groups said children were among those killed. Amnesty International’s Nigeria director Isa Sanusi said the organisation had spoken with hospital officials and victims directly, confirming at least 100 deaths and noting that the victims included children.
A member of a civilian security group working with the military said intelligence had indicated that Boko Haram fighters had gathered close to the market and were planning an attack on nearby communities, and that the Air Force acted on that information.
The incident has drawn sharp political responses. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar raised concerns about civilian casualties, prompting a rebuke from Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare, who described the remarks as misleading and detrimental to national security. Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan called for a full, transparent and independent investigation, saying victims deserved answers and justice, while also calling for medical support and compensation for affected families. Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi attributed such incidents to operational limitations and called for improved military equipment and better coordination among security agencies.
Nigeria’s northeast has seen a pattern of such strikes, with at least 500 civilians killed since 2017 in similar incidents, according to an Associated Press tally. Analysts point to gaps in intelligence gathering and insufficient coordination between ground troops and air assets as recurring factors.
As the investigation by the CHAI-Cell proceeds, pressure from rights groups, political leaders, and local communities for accountability continues to mount.
