Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians Amid Growing Outrage
An airstrike targeting suspected Boko Haram members has killed over 200 civilians in Jilli ,a border community market located between Yobe and Borno States, on Saturday.
The incident which occurred on Saturday evening, at the weekly village market where traders and buyers from surrounding communities, including Gubio, Futchimiram and Benisheikh in Borno State, and Gurokayeya and Geidam in Yobe State, has left hundreds dead with others sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians
According to eyewitnesses, the strike was conducted by fighter jets following an intelligence report that suspected Boko Haram terrorists would visit the market to collect supplies and levies.
An eye witness who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Daily Trust that at least 200 people have been confirmed dead, while 50 others are receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital in Geidam Yobe State.
“The incident happened around 2:46 p.m. while business activities were ongoing.
Four fighter jets carried out the attack, though the fourth jet was not clearly visible. We only heard the sound of explosions” he said
He further noted that about 200 corpses were recovered ” Despite people trying to escape, the strikes continued. We counted about 200 corpses at the scene, and the number may be higher, as more bodies are still being recovered” he added
Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians
Speaking on the incident, the councilor of Fichimaram Ward, Geidam LGA, Malam Lawan Zanna, said about 20 people have been admitted to the Specialist Hospital in Geidam.
“The incident occurred at Jilli village’s weekly market under Fichimaram Ward in Geidam LGA. From the information available to us, it was an airstrike” he said
He added that people scampered for safety when the jets launched the attack but the strikes continued.
“More than 20 people were hospitalized in Geidam. Two were referred to the Teaching Hospital in Damaturu.
Out of those receiving treatment, nine have died, bringing the death toll to over 30,” he said
The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has justified the Saturday airstrikes on Jilli, a border town between Yobe and Borno States.
In a statement signed and posted on X , the Media Information Officer, Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said the spot was a famous terrorist logistics hub and hideout, adding that it has been identified as a major movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and their collaborators.
Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians
“The Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in a carefully, well-coordinated, planned, and intelligence-driven operation, has successfully conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.
The successful strike, executed on 11 April, 2026, followed sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis, an area long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators,” he said.
The Information Officer recalled a recent attack on troops in the area which led to the death of eight soldiers, while several others were wounded in action.
“It will be recalled that in January 2026, troops moving from Gubio towards Damasak came under a major Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack along the road at Bindul, resulting in the tragic loss of eight soldiers, while several others were wounded in action.
More recently, on 9 April, coordinated attacks were recorded in Ngamdu and Benisheik, supported by the same terrorist logistics network. He added
He revealed that several reports received on April 11, 2026, indicated that ISWAP gun trucks and motorcycles were moving along the axis.
Consequently, ISR coverage over the area was immediately intensified. During the surveillance mission, a contingent of motorcycles was observed moving in the direction of Jilli, followed shortly by the movement of several additional vehicles, all converging at the same location.
These suspicious movements were subsequently corroborated by credible human intelligence sources, confirming that the converging elements were terrorists, their collaborators, and logistics handlers,” he said.
According to him, the target was confirmed through multiple credible human intelligence sources, supported by persistent surveillance.
Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians
“Equally important to note, the post-strike assessment confirmed that the target area was struck with high accuracy, destroying the identified terrorist logistics enclave.
Scores of terrorists were neutralized in the strike, with their vehicles and technical destroyed, while surviving elements were observed fleeing in multiple directions,” he emphasized
He further noted that the successful strike demonstrates the resolve and operational capability of OPHK to sustain relentless pressure on terrorist elements, disrupt their logistics networks, and deny them freedom of movement within the theatre.
HOW PRECISION AIRSTRIKES HAVE CLAIMED CIVILIANS LIVES OVER THE YEARS.
In a report published by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting ICIR, In December 2025,a precision airstrike targeting insurgents claimed the lives of innocent 6 civilians, left many injured and destroyed over 50 vehicles belonging to who drivers who conveyed fishermen to Munguno
In December 2023,a military drone airstrike killed over 85 civilians, mostly women and children celebrating maulud in Tudun Biri, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Similarly, in January 2024,another drone airstrike claimed the lives of about 40 Fulani herders returning from Benue to Nasarawa State, who were mistaken for terrorists.
Another military airstrike claimed scores of civilian lives in December 2022 while soldiers were repelling attacks by non-state actors on some communities in the Dansadau District of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, several women and children were killed during the attack.
Rights groups and analysts have decried the killings of innocent civilians through precision airstrikes by armed forces urging the Nigerian government to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CODEMNS ATTACK
Amnesty International in a post on its social media handles on Sunday, had condemned the attack. According to the right group, more than 100 lives have been lost with 35 others wounded in the attack.
The right group added that “launching air raids “is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone’s standard.
” Such reckless use of deadly force is unlawful, outrageous, and lays bare the Nigerian military’s shocking disregard for the lives of those it supposedly exists to protect” it said
Amnesty International also called on Nigerian authorities to “immediately and impartially investigate the incident and ensure that suspected perpetrators are held to account”.
Nigeria is battling with insecurity ravaging the Northern region.
In the North East, Boko Haram and its factional group ISWAP are carrying out deadly attacks on civilians and residential areas, while in the North West bandits and other non state actors are attacking, kidnapping, and displacing communities.
Airstrike in Jilli Kills Over 200 Civilians