Investigation Launched Following Market Airstrike
The Nigerian Air Force has initiated an investigation after reports emerged that dozens of civilians were killed in an airstrike targeting a market on Saturday.
The airstrike took place at Jilli market, located along the border between Borno and Yobe states, during a military operation aimed at Islamist militants. Local residents and Amnesty International have reported that over 100 people died as a result of the strike.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact death toll, though several hospitals in Yobe state have reported treating injured individuals.
In an official statement, the Nigerian Air Force announced it had dispatched a team to "immediately proceed to the location on a fact-finding mission on the allegation."
One of the injured, currently receiving treatment at a hospital, recounted his experience at the market:
"I was with about 30 people and we all fell down after being struck," he told news agency.
Military Confirms Strike and Details Operation
On Sunday, Nigeria's military confirmed the airstrike in a statement, describing the targeted location in Jilli as "long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators."
The military characterized the operation as "a carefully, well-coordinated planned and intelligence-driven operation," stating that it had "successfully conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli."
The statement reported that "scores of terrorists" were killed but did not acknowledge any civilian casualties.
Casualty Estimates and Eyewitness Accounts
According to , citing a councillor from Yobe's Geidam district, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, three residents, and an official from an international humanitarian agency, the death toll could be as high as 200.
"It's a very devastating incident," said Zanna Nur Geidam, noting that the injured had been transported to hospitals in both Yobe and Borno states.
Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old market trader who was injured in the blast, shared his experience with :
"I became so scared and attempted to run away, but a friend dragged me and we all lay on the ground," he said.
Amnesty International reported on X that there were "more than 100 dead" and 35 people seriously wounded.
Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's Nigeria director, told the Associated Press:
"We have their pictures and they include children."
"We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital," he said. "We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims," he added.
Local councillor Zanna Nur Geidam estimated the total number of casualties, including both dead and injured, to be around 200.
Many victims were taken to hospitals in nearby Geidam and Maiduguri, where at least eight more wounded individuals died on Sunday.
"We are talking of dozens dead but it is difficult to give a specific toll," he said.
Context of Military Air Operations in Northeast Nigeria
Nigeria's northeast region has experienced several incidents in recent years where military air operations targeting Islamist insurgents have inadvertently resulted in civilian casualties. These incidents have affected villages, camps for displaced persons, and markets.
