Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned an airstrike that hit Jilli Market on the Yobe‑Borno border, saying the attack killed more than 50 traders. Speaking on Sunday, a few hours after the incident, Atiku called the event "not just tragic, but a devastating failure that must outrage every conscience." He warned that civilian casualties "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?"
Atiku contrasted the Nigerian response with recent U.S. actions, noting that "just a few days ago, the United States deployed over 150 aircraft and spent an estimated $300 million to rescue just one pilot in Iran, even destroying equipment worth over $100 million each to protect a single life." He urged authorities to reflect on the value placed on Nigerian lives, demanding "urgent review, accountability, and decisive action."
The former presidential candidate concluded with condolences, stating, "My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families and affected communities. Nigeria must uphold its duty to protect its citizens. That is the ultimate essence of national security."
Atiku's stark comparison of Nigeria's military conduct with the United States' willingness to spend hundreds of millions on a single rescue spotlights a glaring disparity in how civilian lives are valued. By invoking the $300 million U.S. operation, he forces a reckoning on the cost—or lack thereof—assigned to Nigerian casualties.
The incident occurs amid a protracted insurgency in the northeast, where air strikes have become a routine tool against militants. Yet the repeated loss of market traders underscores persistent gaps in intelligence and rules of engagement, raising doubts about the effectiveness of current counter‑insurgency tactics.
For ordinary Nigerians, especially those living in conflict‑prone states, the episode erodes confidence that the armed forces protect rather than endanger them. Families of the victims now face not only grief but also the prospect of inadequate compensation and limited legal recourse.
Such episodes feed a broader pattern of civilian harm in military operations, suggesting that without systematic reforms, Nigeria risks normalising collateral damage as an accepted cost of security.
