The military has defended an air strike on Jilli market along the Borno-Yobe border, where several people were reportedly killed and injured. The market is located between Gubio and Geidam Local Government Areas in Borno and Yobe states. The Yobe State Government said the operation targeted suspected Boko Haram insurgents operating in the area.
This followed Amnesty International’s condemnation of the strike, alleging that as many as 100 people were killed. In response, the military maintained that the operation was based on credible intelligence and was aimed at disrupting terrorist activities in the region.
Sani Uba, spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai in the North East, said the strike followed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions conducted on April 11 over the Bindul Jilli axis. He explained that the location had been identified as a logistics hub and movement corridor for fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province and their collaborators.
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He said post-strike assessments confirmed the destruction of the target and the neutralisation of several terrorists. Meanwhile, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Sunday, has also backed the airstrike, emphasising that the Jilli market was closed five years ago. Governor Zulum described the market as a notorious hub allegedly used by insurgents and their logistics suppliers.
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