…Credible Intelligence or Friendly Fire?
… Military and Witnesses Give Divergent Accounts
By Abu Adamu
Considerable confusion has gripped the country following a deadly airstrike on the Jilli axis along the Borno–Yobe border, in Nigeria’s North East, with sharply conflicting accounts raising questions over whether the operation was a precision hit on terrorists or a tragic case of friendly fire on civilians.
While eyewitnesses and local officials report that scores of civilians were killed when bombs struck a busy weekly market, the Nigerian military insists the strike was a carefully executed, intelligence-led operation targeting terrorist elements.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), operating under Operation Hadin Kai, said the April 11 strike targeted a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub near Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said the mission followed sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) over the Bindul–Jilli corridor—long identified as a major movement route for Islamic State West Africa Province fighters.
According to Uba, “multiple reports were received of ISWAP gun trucks and motorcycles moving along the axis,” prompting intensified aerial surveillance.
He added that the movements were “corroborated by credible human intelligence sources,” confirming that those converging on the location were “terrorists, their collaborators, and logistics handlers.”
Uba emphasised that “a rigorous and professional targeting process was undertaken,” with “target fidelity confirmed through multiple credible human intelligence sources, supported by persistent aerial surveillance” before the strikes were executed.
He said the operation resulted in the destruction of a terrorist logistics enclave, noting that “scores of terrorists were neutralised,” while their vehicles were destroyed and surviving fighters fled.
“Intelligence further indicates that the neutralised elements were in the final stages of receiving logistics… for coordinated attacks on troop locations within the Gubio axis,” Uba stated.
However, this official narrative sharply contrasts with reports from residents and local authorities.
Eyewitnesses said the bombs struck a crowded weekly market, variously identified as Jilli or Dilli Market, located between Gubio in Borno State and Geidam in Yobe State, at a time when traders and villagers were conducting business.
Some witnesses claimed that multiple fighter jets carried out repeated strikes, even as civilians attempted to flee.
Confirming the incident, Yobe State Police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, said:
“Yes, there was an incident that occurred at Dilli Market along the Borno–Yobe border. Officers have been deployed in the area to investigate what actually happened.
“Although the residents said it was an air strike by the air force that initially targeted Boko Haram terrorists, we cannot confirm that. Only the air force themselves can confirm it.
“At this moment, we do not have confirmed casualty figures, especially because the incident also affected Borno.”
Local sources, however, claim that at least 56 people, mostly traders, were killed, with dozens more injured. Victims were evacuated to hospitals in Geidam and Damaturu, while emergency response efforts continue.
The Yobe State Government acknowledged the strike but maintained that it targeted a Boko Haram stronghold in Borno State. It admitted, however, that some residents from Geidam who had travelled to the market were affected.
NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame defended the operation, stating it was conducted based on “credible intelligence” and in coordination with ground forces to restrict terrorist movement and prevent further attacks.
But the incident has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny of military air operations in civilian areas.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the strike, describing it as a “devastating failure” if civilian casualties are confirmed.
“The Jilli market airstrike that killed scores of innocent traders is not just tragic, but a devastating failure that must outrage every conscience,” he said.
The incident once again highlights the difficult balance in Nigeria’s war against insurgency, where reliance on intelligence and rapid-response strikes can yield tactical gains, but also carry grave risks for civilian populations.
As investigations continue, the question remains unresolved: was the Jilli strike a decisive blow against terrorists, as the military maintains, or a deadly error that underscores the cost of war on innocent lives?