More than 200 people are feared dead after Nigerian military jets struck a village market in Yobe State, in what appears to be a misdirected airstrike during an operation targeting insurgents.
The incident was reported by Reuters on Sunday, with details gathered from a local councillor, residents, and humanitarian sources, who said the strike occurred on Saturday night.
The military said it had carried out an air operation against Boko Haram militants in the Jilli axis of Borno State, but did not acknowledge hitting a market, suggesting the strike was part of ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the region.
What they said
While there has been no official confirmation from the Nigerian Air Force that civilians were hit, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam, military adviser to the Yobe State Government, confirmed that people attending the market were affected.
- “Some people from Geidam LGA bordering Gubio LGA in Borno State who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected,” he said.
A local councillor, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, described the scale of the devastation, saying the death toll could exceed 200.
- “It’s a very devastating incident at Jilli Market. As I’m speaking to you, over 200 people have lost their lives from the air strike at the market,” he said.
The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also confirmed receiving preliminary reports of the incident, noting that casualties were recorded among traders and that emergency response efforts had been activated.
More insights
The incident comes just a day after the Federal Government released a list of 48 individuals and entities allegedly linked to terrorism financing, as part of efforts to curb insurgency.
The list, published on Saturday by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, is part of broader counterterrorism measures aimed at disrupting financial networks supporting armed groups.
Similarly, on Friday, April 10, Nigerian authorities secured convictions against 386 individuals linked to militant Islamist groups, while two were acquitted, eight discharged, and 112 cases adjourned.
Reacting to the incident, former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, said the development “was not just tragic but a devastating failure that should outrage every conscience.”
- “While targeting insurgents, innocent Nigerians were once again reduced to collateral damage. How long will citizens remain unsafe both from terrorists and from the very operations meant to protect them?” the former Vice President, who hails from Adamawa State, another region heavily affected by insurgency, said in a statement on X.
While condoling with the families of the deceased, he added that “Nigeria must uphold its duty to protect its citizens. That is the ultimate essence of national security.”
What you should know
Incidents of civilian casualties from military airstrikes are not new in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and banditry, raising ongoing concerns about intelligence accuracy and operational coordination.
- In January 2017, a military jet mistakenly bombed a displaced persons camp in Rann, killing more than 100 civilians. In December 2023, another airstrike in Kaduna State killed over 80 villagers during a religious gathering after they were reportedly mistaken for insurgents.
- Similar incidents have continued in recent years. In 2025, at least 16 civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike in Zamfara after being misidentified as armed groups, while other strikes in Sokoto and Nasarawa also resulted in civilian deaths.
Overall, estimates suggest that more than 400 civilians have been killed in accidental or misdirected airstrikes in Nigeria since 2017.
