*NAF First Claims Success Then Orders Investigation After Civilian Casualty Reports
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An airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force on a busy weekly market at Jilli, along the Borno-Yobe border, has killed at least 56 people mostly traders and hospitalised over 20 others, in an incident that saw the military initially describe the operation as a successful intelligence-led strike against terrorists before subsequently dispatching a fact-finding team after reports of mass civilian casualties emerged.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State responded by disclosing that his government shut down the Jilli market five years ago because it was serving as “a notorious hub allegedly used by insurgents and their logistics suppliers” raising questions about why civilians were trading at a market the government had ordered closed, and whether the Air Force knew or should have known that the market was operational despite the closure order.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has ordered the immediate activation of the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell to proceed to the location on a fact-finding mission, while calling for calm and assuring that the Air Force treats reports of civilian harm with “utmost seriousness and empathy.”
The airstrike occurred on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Jilli Market a weekly market situated between Gubio Local Government Area in Borno State and Geidam Local Government Area in Yobe State, along the border between the two northeastern states.
Witness accounts indicated that four fighter jets were involved in the operation, which was said to be targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the area. The market was reportedly busy with traders conducting their regular weekly commerce when the jets struck.
A local councillor, Malam Lawan Zanna, confirmed the attack and described the chaos that followed.
“People tried to escape when the jets began firing, but the strikes continued,” Zanna stated.
He said more than 20 people were hospitalised, and some of the injured later died, pushing the death toll higher. At least 56 people, mostly traders, were feared killed in the attack, with 14 others confirmed hospitalised.
The Nigerian Air Force’s response to the incident evolved significantly over the course of 24 hours — from initially describing the operation as a successful strike to subsequently ordering an investigation into possible civilian casualties.
In its first statement, NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame described the strikes as conducted “based on credible intelligence and in close coordination with ground forces to deny terrorists freedom of movement and prevent further attacks.”
He stated that the operation “successfully disrupted insurgent activities within the Jilli axis, an area long considered a strategic enclave for terrorists due to its challenging terrain.”
“The operation formed part of a broader air-ground integration effort aimed at consolidating earlier gains recorded by friendly forces,” Ejodame stated.
He added that the operation “highlights the increasing effectiveness of intelligence-led joint missions in the North-East” and that the NAF would “sustain the current operational momentum to protect innocent lives, secure communities, and restore lasting peace in the region.”
However, as reports of civilian casualties mounted, the Air Force’s tone shifted dramatically.
In a subsequent statement, Ejodame acknowledged the reports and announced that the Chief of Air Staff had ordered an immediate investigation.
“The Nigerian Air Force has taken note of reports alleging that an air strike conducted on Saturday, 11 April 2026, may have affected a local market in Jilli, resulting in civilian casualties,” the revised statement read.
“The Service treats all reports of possible civilian harm with the utmost seriousness and empathy, as the protection of innocent lives remains central to all NAF operations,” Ejodame stated.
He disclosed that the CAS directed the immediate activation of the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell to proceed to the location on a fact-finding mission.
The NAF urged the public and media to “refrain from speculation and allow the review to proceed without prejudice.”
Governor Zulum’s response introduced a critical piece of context that raises as many questions as it answers.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, Zulum revealed that the Borno State Government closed Jilli and Gazabure markets five years ago because they were serving as hubs used by insurgents and their logistics suppliers.
“Let me state categorically that the Borno State Government closed Jilli and Gazabure markets five years ago,” Zulum stated.
The governor explained that Borno maintains close coordination with the military and other security agencies before resettling any community or reopening markets, particularly in areas affected by insurgency.
He warned residents against aiding, harbouring, or providing logistical support to Boko Haram insurgents a statement that appeared to suggest the market’s continued operation despite the closure order may have involved some element of insurgent activity or at least lent plausibility to the military’s intelligence that the location was being used by terrorists.
“I am in close consultation with the Government of Yobe State and the military hierarchy on the matter,” Zulum added.
The governor urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information to aid ongoing military operations, while reiterating his administration’s commitment to safeguarding law-abiding citizens.
The Jilli airstrike raises several urgent questions that the NAF’s investigation will need to address.
First, if the Borno State Government closed the market five years ago, who was operating it and why? Were the traders at the market civilians going about legitimate commerce despite the closure order, or was the market functioning as an insurgent logistics hub as the government’s original closure suggested? The answer to this question has profound implications for how the civilian casualties are characterised.
Second, what was the quality of the intelligence that informed the strike? The NAF initially described the intelligence as “credible” and the operation as successful. If the intelligence indicated the presence of terrorists but failed to account for the presence of dozens of civilian traders, it suggests a failure in the intelligence-targeting chain that resulted in disproportionate civilian harm.
Third, were the rules of engagement followed? International humanitarian law requires military operations to distinguish between combatants and civilians, to ensure that strikes are proportionate, and to take precautions to minimise civilian harm. An airstrike on a busy market even one in an area associated with insurgent activity raises questions about proportionality and precaution.
Fourth, the witness account that “people tried to escape when the jets began firing, but the strikes continued” is particularly troubling. It suggests that the operation involved multiple passes or continued engagement after initial strikes, potentially after it became apparent that civilians were present at the site.
The Jilli airstrike is not the first time Nigerian military operations have resulted in significant civilian casualties in the Northeast.
In January 2017, a Nigerian Air Force airstrike on an IDP camp in Rann, Borno State, killed over 100 civilians in what the military described as a case of mistaken targeting. In September 2021, an airstrike in Yobe State reportedly killed fishermen and farmers. And multiple incidents of airstrikes on markets, gatherings, and communities have been reported over the years, with varying degrees of official acknowledgment.
Each incident has prompted investigations, but critics argue that the pattern of civilian casualties continues because fundamental issues in the intelligence-targeting-verification chain remain unaddressed.
The most striking aspect of the episode is the contradiction between the NAF’s two statements.
In the first statement, the Air Force described the Jilli operation as a successful, intelligence-led strike that “disrupted insurgent activities” and “highlights the increasing effectiveness” of joint missions. There was no mention of a market, civilian presence, or potential casualties.
In the second statement, the same spokesperson acknowledged reports of a market being affected and civilian casualties, and announced an investigation a response that implicitly acknowledges that the first statement may not have captured the full picture.
This pattern of initially claiming operational success and subsequently acknowledging possible civilian harm only after public reports emerge has been observed in previous incidents and raises questions about the military’s internal reporting mechanisms and its willingness to proactively investigate potential civilian casualties rather than waiting for media reports to force a response.
The Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell dispatched by the Chief of Air Staff will be tasked with establishing the facts on the ground including the number of casualties, whether they were civilians or combatants, the nature of the intelligence that informed the strike, and whether proper procedures were followed.
The NAF has pledged to collaborate with relevant authorities and community representatives to establish the facts.
Governor Zulum’s consultation with the Yobe State Government and the military hierarchy suggests that the incident will be examined at both state and federal levels.
For the families of the traders who went to Jilli Market on Saturday morning expecting to buy and sell goods and instead lost their lives to an airstrike by their own country’s Air Force, the investigation and its findings will determine whether their deaths are acknowledged as a tragic error deserving accountability and compensation — or dismissed as collateral damage in a war that has already consumed tens of thousands of lives across Nigeria’s Northeast.
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