Bombs fell on terrorists who were trying to get away from the Jilli market, which is in a border village between Yobe and Borno states, during the weekend.
According to The Nation, Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum noted that the market was known for being a safe haven for rebels and their supplies.
But the precise military campaign against rebels in the Northeast turned into a scandal when accusations of many civilian deaths came out.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) stated that they carried out the strike, but they are being criticized since others say it hurt civilians in Jilli.
Jilli is a border town between the Gubio Local Government Area of Borno and the Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe.
Military officials say the target was a terrorist hideout, but locals say that a busy market where traders do business may have been caught in the crossfire, leaving several believed dead and others hurt.
The event took place on Saturday night.
People reported that the market, which is known for attracting dealers from other countries, was very busy during the time of the strike.
Local sources and hospital officials said that there were a lot of deaths, but the precise number is yet unknown.
Some sources said that dozens of civilians may have died and at than 20 others were hurt.
Medical staff at Geidam Specialist Hospital claimed that the hospital was overwhelmed by the number of injured people that came in, thus emergency responders had to take several of them to the Specialist Hospital in Damaturu for more sophisticated care.
“More than seven cars with injured people were taken to Damaturu.
A hospital source added, “The emergency ward is full, and some victims are being treated in cars.”
Reports say that other injured people were transferred to health centers in adjacent villages, including parts of Borno State.
People who saw it happen said that suspected rebels who were running away from the troops had just entered the market before the hit.
“We observed three planes. One of them shot toward the market. A resident reported, “Many people were there trading,” but this could not be confirmed by anyone else.
The incident on Saturday night came after terrorists attacked a military camp in Benishekh, where a brigade of the Operation Hardin-Kai was stationed. Two soldiers and two officers were murdered before the rebels were driven back.
Military says target a terrorist base
The military said that the operation was based on intelligence and was aimed at a known terrorist supply hub near the abandoned settlement of Jilli.
The Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, stated the strike came after long-term Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions along the Bindul–Jilli axis, which is a well-known route for insurgents to traverse.
It added that intelligence assessments confirmed the arrival of suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, together with weapons trucks and motorcycles, at the location.
“After final approval, the Air Component carried out a series of precise strikes on the target.
The statement claimed, “Many terrorists were killed, and their vehicles and supplies were destroyed.”
The military also said that the operation stopped attacks that were about to happen against troops in the vicinity.
Zulum says not to help insurgents
Zulum told people not to help, hide, or give logistical support to Boko Haram fighters.
Dauda Iliya, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, said that Zulum called Jilli market a well-known place where rebels and their logistics providers meet.
He said, “I have been fully informed about the airstrike that the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai carried out on Jilli market, which is a border town between Borno and Yobe states.”
“Let me be clear: five years ago, the Borno State Government shuttered the Jilli and Gazabure markets.
“I am in close contact with the Yobe State Government and the military leadership about this.”
Zulum said that the Borno State Government works closely with the military and other security agencies before moving any community or reopening markets, especially in regions where there has been insurgency.
He said again that his administration is fully committed to protecting law-abiding residents and working with security services to bring about sustainable peace and stability across the state.
The governor asked people to stay alert and work with the police by giving them reliable information that will help with military operations.
NAF confirms the strike and tells people to look into it.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, a spokeswoman for NAF, said that the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI carried out what he called “precision follow-up mop-up air strikes” on known terrorist sites in the Jilli axis on April 11.
He did, however, admit that there may have been civilian deaths and added that Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), has ordered an immediate investigation.
Ejodame says that the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell (CHAI-Cell) has been sent to the scene to gather information.
“The Nigerian Air Force takes all reports of possible civilian harm very seriously and with compassion, because protecting innocent lives is at the heart of everything it does,” he said.
He also said that the service is still devoted to professionalism, responsibility, and openness, and he asked the public and the media not to make guesses while the investigations are still going on.
Arrested for the Benisheik attack
On April 12, the military apprehended a man they think is a terrorist supply courier named “Turja Bulu” in Ngamdu.
The Theatre Command says that the suspect admitted to taking part in the April 9 attack in Benisheik and helping terrorists in the Magumeri–Gubio area with logistics.
The military said that the arrest is part of its ongoing efforts to break up terrorist networks and stop the flow of goods that support the insurgency in the area.
The command also repeated the restriction on motorbikes in the Northeast operational theater, saying that insurgents often use them to get about and move supplies.
Atiku wants people to be held accountable.
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, spoke out against the reported deaths of civilians.
He called the event a catastrophic failure that makes it quite clear that civilians are not safe during military operations.
Atiku asked why innocent people keep dying during security operations in a statement.
“While trying to get rid of rebels, innocent Nigerians were once again hurt.
He said, “How long will people be unsafe from terrorists and the very operations that are supposed to protect them?”
He asked for an immediate review of operating methods and demanded accountability, adding that the government must always put protecting civilian lives first.
Atiku also sent his condolences to the families of those who were affected and asked the government to take real action to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Arrests and rescues happen all throughout the country.
The Army said that despite the uproar, they were making big progress in their ongoing operations against crime and terrorism across the country.
In an operational update, the army said that synchronized operations in several areas killed dozens of terrorists, captured more than 60 suspects, and freed at least 50 people who had been kidnapped.
In the Northeast, Operation HADIN KAI forces attacked ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters from the air and the ground, destroying their supply bases and killing their fighters.
In Borno and Yobe states, troops also arrested people they thought were informants or logistics providers and took cash, petrol, phones, and communication equipment from them.
Troops in Adamawa State stormed places where criminals were hiding, detaining 20 people and freeing several who had been kidnapped.
In the Northwest and Northcentral zones, which include Sokoto, Kebbi, Plateau, and Kogi states, operations freed kidnapped people and broke up criminal groups.
In Kogi, a suspect was killed while trying to get away during questioning, and forces destroyed multiple hideouts used by armed organizations.
The army also said that attacks on communities had been stopped, that stolen cattle had been found, and that clearance operations were still going on in dangerous regions.
In the Southsouth, forces from Operation Delta Safe stopped a kidnapping attempt in Delta State, saved the hostages, and got back the ransom money and operational vehicles.
As part of their attempts to stop crude oil theft, they also stopped people they thought were oil vandals at a plant in Sapele.
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