NAF confirms Borno airstrikes against insurgents, tight-lipped on alleged market bombing

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed conducting air operations in the Jilli axis of Borno State as part of ongoing efforts to sustain pressure on insurgents in the North-East, even as questions persist over reports of a deadly accidental bombing at a weekly border market.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday at Jilli Market along the Borno–Yobe border, between Gubio and Geidam local government areas, where traders from surrounding communities had gathered for business activities when fighter jets allegedly struck the area.

Eyewitnesses said multiple jets were involved in an operation targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents believed to be operating in the region, but the strike reportedly missed its intended target and hit the crowded marketplace instead.

Sources and local authorities said the attack left about 56 people dead and 14 others injured, with victims rushed to the Specialist Hospital in Geidam, while some later died, and others were referred to the Teaching Hospital in Damaturu due to the severity of their condition.

A councillor from Fichimaram Ward confirmed the incident, saying over 30 deaths were initially recorded, while additional casualties were reported among those receiving treatment in hospitals.

The Yobe State Governor’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam (rtd), also confirmed the development but noted that the affected community falls within Borno State, urging further clarification from relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, the Air Force, in a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the strikes were conducted under Operation Hadin Kai on Friday as part of coordinated counter-terrorism operations. He added that the mission targeted fleeing and regrouping insurgents based on credible intelligence, adding that precision strikes destroyed terrorist hideouts and disrupted their activities in the Jilli axis, described as a known insurgent enclave.

However, the Air Force made no reference to the alleged civilian casualties at the market or the reported accidental bombing, despite growing concerns from local sources and eyewitness accounts.