The Presidency yesterday insisted the operation that struck Jilli market in a boundary community between Yobe and Borno states was deliberate and targeted at terrorists, not civilians.

While the airstrike has drawn criticism and calls for investigation, the Yobe State government also maintained that the operation was intentional and based on credible intelligence.

The Presidency said the location had long ceased to function as a purely civilian trading hub.

It said the market had been infiltrated and effectively taken over by Boko Haram and ISWAP as a logistics base.

Senior presidential aide Tope Ajayi described the site as “a legitimate military target,” insisting that insurgents had converted it into a coordination and supply point.

In a statement by Governor Mai Mala Buni’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam (rtd), the operation was described as “intentional, intelligence-driven, and part of ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist enclaves.”

According to the state government, the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI carried out the strike on April 11, targeting Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, identified as a known Boko Haram stronghold.

“It must be clearly stated that the airstrike was not a mistake,” the statement said.

However, it acknowledged that some traders and civilians from Geidam in Yobe State who had travelled to the weekly market were inadvertently affected.

Those injured were evacuated to the Geidam Specialist Hospital for treatment.

The Presidency also pushed back strongly against comments by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had criticised the airstrike and raised concerns over civilian deaths.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare described Atiku’s remarks as “misleading, reckless and detrimental” to national security efforts.

Dare argued that portraying the operation as an attack on civilians distorted the reality of the situation and risked undermining troop morale.

“While the location may still be referred to as ‘Jilli Market' it has not functioned as a legitimate civilian marketplace in any meaningful sense,” he said.

“By multiple credible accounts, it has evolved into an operational node within the insurgency’s supply chain.”

He warned that politicising military operations could embolden terrorists and weaken public confidence in ongoing counter-insurgency efforts.

Despite official insistence on the legitimacy of the strike, concerns over civilian casualties have persisted.

Former Senate President Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan called for a “full, transparent and independent investigation” into the incident, citing reports that more than 100 civilians may have been killed.

Lawan said he was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by accounts that military jets bombed a crowded marketplace, leaving scores dead and many others injured.

Medical sources, he noted, had confirmed receiving dozens of severely injured victims, with fears that the death toll could rise.

“Without prejudice to the integrity of our military, the victims deserve answers and justice,” Lawan said, urging authorities to grant investigators access to the area, provide medical care for survivors and compensate affected families.

Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has expressed concern over the loss of civilian lives.

He extended condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the governments and people of Borno and Yobe.

He noted that while details surrounding the incident remain unclear, such occurrences are often linked to operational challenges, coordination gaps, and limitations in military equipment.

According to him, the situation highlights the urgent need for Nigeria to invest in modern fighter aircraft, upgrade existing defence platforms, and ensure continuous training and retraining of military personnel.

Obi also stressed the importance of supporting the armed forces, acknowledging their sacrifices while insisting they must be adequately equipped to carry out their duties effectively and avoid preventable errors.

He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rise to the challenge of national security through decisive leadership, improved coordination among security agencies, and sustained investment in defence capacity. (The Nation)

Update news