Reports indicate that civilians may have lost their lives after Nigerian military jets struck a village market in the northeast region of the country.
The attack occurred near the border of Yobe and Borno states during an operation targeting Islamist militants, as reported by the Reuters news agency and local sources.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed it conducted “mop-up” air strikes on “identified terrorist locations” within the Jilli axis of Borno State on Saturday. However, the Air Force has not verified whether it struck the market or confirmed any casualties.
This area remains at the heart of the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency, which has displaced over two million people and resulted in numerous fatalities.
The Air Force stated that follow-up strikes on Saturday aimed to target fleeing remnants and regrouping cells attempting to exploit the region’s challenging terrain.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the casualty figures from the market strike.
According to councillor Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam in Yobe’s Geidam district, along with three residents and an official from an international humanitarian agency, Reuters reported that at least 200 people may have died.
“It’s a very devastating incident,” Geidam remarked, noting that the injured were transported to hospitals in Yobe and Borno.
Conversely, Nigerian outlets such as the Sun and Punch cited sources claiming that 10 people had died, while several others sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, the Daily Trust reported an eyewitness account, suggesting that at least 56 individuals lost their lives, with 14 others requiring hospitalization.
The weekly market typically draws traders and buyers from surrounding communities.
On Sunday, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency released a statement indicating it had received “preliminary reports” of the incident at Jilli Market in the Gubio local government area, which reportedly resulted in casualties affecting some market participants.
The agency further stated that emergency response teams had been promptly deployed to assess the situation, although it acknowledged that “details regarding the nature of the incident and the number of casualties remain unverified.”
The government of neighboring Yobe state acknowledged that some of its residents who attended the market “were affected.” Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam noted on Facebook that individuals from Geidam LGA, which borders Gubio LGA in Borno state, were involved.
Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old market trader, recounted his experience to Reuters, stating that he sustained injuries from the blast. “I became so scared and attempted to run away, but a friend dragged me down, and we all lay on the ground,” he said.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria branch condemned the air strike, asserting that it resulted in the deaths of “over 100 people.”
“Launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone’s standard,” the organization stated in a post on X.
“Such reckless use of deadly force is unlawful, outrageous, and highlights the Nigerian military’s alarming disregard for the lives it is meant to protect.”
Nigeria’s northeast has experienced a troubling pattern of military air operations mistakenly targeting civilians, including in villages, displacement camps, and markets in recent years.
