Nigerian Air Force Probes Deadly Market Airstrike
Dozens feared killed as military targets suspected militant corridor in north-east Nigeria
The Nigerian Air Force has launched an investigation following reports that dozens of civilians were killed in an airstrike on a market in c.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Jilli market, located along the border between Borno and Yobe states, during an operation targeting Islamist militants. Local residents and Amnesty International estimate that more than 100 people may have died, although authorities have yet to confirm an official casualty figure.
Hospitals in Yobe State have reported receiving several injured victims, some of whom are currently undergoing treatment.
In a statement, the Air Force said it had deployed a team to the area to carry out a fact-finding mission into the incident.
One survivor receiving treatment said he had visited the market to purchase livestock when the strike occurred, describing how he and others were knocked to the ground by the blast.
The Nigerian military later confirmed carrying out the airstrike, stating that the location had long been identified as a major route and gathering point for militants linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). It described the mission as a carefully planned, intelligence-led operation targeting a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub near the abandoned village of Jilli.
While the military reported that several militants were killed, it made no mention of civilian casualties.
However, local officials, including councillor Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, suggested that the total number of casualties both dead and injured could be as high as 200. He described the incident as devastating, noting that victims were taken to hospitals in Geidam, Yobe, and Maiduguri, where some later died from their injuries.
Isa Sanusi also confirmed reports of over 100 deaths, adding that the victims included children. According to him, the organisation has been in contact with hospitals and individuals on the ground to verify the situation.
This incident adds to a series of similar occurrences in Nigeria’s north-east, where military air operations against insurgents have mistakenly struck civilian locations, including villages, displacement camps, and markets.
