Scores of persons suspected to be members of the Boko Haram group and their sympathisers were feared killed on Saturday after a military airstrike hit the Jilli weekly market along the Borno–Yobe border, while a separate attack by terrorists left at least 18 people dead in Bunkasau village in Zamfara State.
Sources said the airstrike targeted suspected insurgents believed to have gathered at the market to collect levies and supplies. However, eyewitnesses alleged that civilians were among the casualties. One resident said he counted dozens of bodies after the explosions and helped evacuate injured victims to hospital.
Local officials confirmed the incident but gave varying casualty figures. A councillor in Fichimaram Ward, Malam Lawan Zanna, said more than 30 people were killed, with several others hospitalised in Geidam and Damaturu. Medical sources also confirmed that at least 21 victims were admitted to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri following the strike.
The Nigerian Air Force said it had taken note of reports of civilian casualties and launched an investigation. In a statement, its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the Chief of the Air Staff had activated the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Both Borno and Yobe State governments maintained that the strike targeted a known insurgent enclave. Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum said the Jilli and Gazabure markets had been officially closed about five years ago because they were being used as logistics hubs by insurgents. The Yobe State Government also confirmed that while the operation targeted Boko Haram elements, some traders from neighbouring communities were affected.
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), described the operation as a necessary military action based on credible intelligence indicating that insurgents were using the market for logistics and operational support. He acknowledged reports of civilian casualties but said terrorists often embedded themselves within civilian populations, complicating military operations.
Meanwhile, the Medical Director of the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, Dr. Shehu Muhammad, appealed for blood donations, saying several victims required urgent transfusions as medical personnel worked to stabilise those injured in the airstrike.
Reacting to the incident, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the development as a tragic failure that demanded accountability and urgent review. He questioned the safety of civilians during counter-insurgency operations and called for stronger safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
In a separate incident in Zamfara State, terrorists reportedly killed at least 18 people during an attack on Bunkasau village in Bukkuyum Local Government Area. Residents said the attackers, numbering more than 80 and riding motorcycles, stormed the community late Friday night and opened fire on residents.
Zamfara State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mahmud Dantawasa, confirmed the killings, while Governor Dauda Lawal condemned the attacks as senseless violence. He directed the deployment of a high-level government delegation to support affected communities and ensure treatment for the injured, while reaffirming the state government’s commitment to restoring security.
