The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, defended the Nigerian military after an airstrike hit the Jilli village market near the Borno–Yobe border. Olusegun posted on X on Monday, replying to broadcaster Osasu Suave, who asked whether circulating images showed a market. He wrote, "Anyone who is doing business with terrorists are legitimate military targets for our nation's armed forces and not civilians."
The strike occurred on Saturday under Operation HADIN KAI in the Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State. The Nigerian Air Force said the site was a terrorist logistics hub used by Islamic State West Africa Province fighters, citing intelligence that showed motorcycles and gun trucks moving into the area.
Local authorities and the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, however, reported civilian casualties, estimating more than 40 deaths, though figures remain unverified. The agency said many victims were traders from Geidam LGA who had travelled to the market.
Operation HADIN KAI spokesperson Sani Uba claimed the attack followed "rigorous targeting procedures" and that post‑strike assessments confirmed the neutralisation of several terrorists and the destruction of vehicles and logistics networks. The Defence Headquarters reiterated that Jilli had long been identified as a terrorist logistics corridor. Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum described the area as insurgent‑linked but urged caution and cooperation with security agencies.
Dada Olusegun's assertion that anyone doing business with terrorists is a lawful target blurs the line between combatants and civilians, effectively sanctioning lethal force against ordinary market traders.
The military's justification rests on intelligence that linked motorcycle and gun‑truck movements to ISWAP, yet the same operation is framed as a response to a January 2026 attack that killed eight soldiers. This narrative positions the airstrike as a pre‑emptive strike within a broader counter‑insurgency campaign, while local emergency agencies contest the civilian death toll, putting the credibility of the "rigorous targeting procedures" into question.
For traders from Geidam LGA and other market‑goers, the incident underscores the risk of being caught in military operations that label commercial activity as terrorist collaboration. Fear of future strikes may deter cross‑border trade, eroding livelihoods in border communities that already face insecurity.
The episode reflects a recurring pattern where counter‑terrorism missions in Nigeria's northeast generate civilian casualties, fueling mistrust between affected populations and the armed forces and complicating efforts to isolate insurgent networks.
