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Chuks Okocha, Linus Aleke in Abuja and Muhammad Sabiru in Maiduguri
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced investigations into alleged civilian casualties following reports that an air strike conducted on Saturday, 11 April 2026, affected a local market in Jilli, killing many and injuring several others.
The service said it was also handling a related development in which troops apprehended a terrorist fighter in possession of funds intended for logistics support.
Many persons were reportedly feared killed, others injured following suspected accidental airstrikes at Jilli Market near Fuchimiram village in Geidam LGA of Yobe State.
Jilli is a border community with Damasak in Borno State and is located over 200 kilometres from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
Confirming the airstrike, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore, Ehimen Ejodame, said in a statement that the operation was targeting Boko Haram insurgents operating in the area.
He noted that NAF Air Component under Operation HADIN KAI carried out the precision follow-up strikes on April 11, 2026, in the Jilli axis of Borno State.
However, residents and hospital officials had given different accounts on the number of people killed during the operation.
According to residents, the incident occurred while traders in their hundreds were carrying out normal business activities at the market
A councillor representing the area, Lawan Zannah, said the incident happened around 4pm and 30 persons were confirmed dead
He also revealed that 20 people, who sustained various degrees of injuries, had been hospitalised in Geidam General Hospital.
A hospital official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the injured victims were receiving treatment at the Accident and Emergency unit of the hospital.
“We are still receiving injured victims and the A and E unit is currently overstretched. It’s not easy to give the number of people killed, but almost 34 injured persons were brought to the hospital so far,” he said.
One of the local sources revealed that the Boko Haram terrorists had earlier converged on the market to collect levies and source logistics when the fighter jet carried out the strike.
“Unfortunately, the intended targets were missed, resulting in civilian casualties. We want to the military to gather enough information before such attacks are executed,” he said.
Also, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, said it has received preliminary reports of the incident and has activated emergency response measures.
“Assessment teams have been deployed to the area to ascertain the facts and provide support to affected victims” said one of the staff.
In his response, the Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters, Brig-Gen Abdulsalam Dahiru, confirmed that the incident happened in Borno community.
“The chairman of Geidam Local Government informed me that Jilli village falls under Gubio LGA of Borno State. I cannot comment on that but you may contact officials in Maiduguri,” he said.
Meanwhile, the statement by the NAF spokesman, insisted that the mission was part of a coordinated air-ground operation with the Nigerian Army under Operation HADIN KAI, targeting fleeing insurgents and regrouping cells in the area.
“Coming amid intensified efforts to track and neutralise terrorist elements responsible for recent attacks on security forces within the wider theatre, the follow-on strikes were aimed at fleeing remnants and regrouping cells seeking to exploit the difficult terrain,” the statement said.
It added that the operation was based on credible intelligence and was aimed at consolidating earlier gains by security forces, noting that such actions are intended to deny terrorists freedom of movement and prevent attacks on both security positions and civilian communities.
The Air Force said the strikes formed part of ongoing efforts to secure lives, protect property, and stabilise vulnerable areas across Borno State and the wider North-East region, while reaffirming its commitment to counter-terrorism operations.
This, nonetheless, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, in a statement, said the Service treats all allegations of civilian harm with utmost seriousness and empathy, stressing that the protection of innocent lives remained central to all NAF operations.
He explained that, in line with this commitment, the Chief of the Air Staff has directed the immediate activation of the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell (CHAI-Cell), which has already been deployed to the location on a fact-finding mission to verify the claims.
He further stated that the Nigerian Air Force remained committed to professionalism, accountability, and transparency in the conduct of its operations.
According to him, the service would work closely with relevant authorities and community representatives to establish the facts, while urging the public and the media to avoid speculation and allow the investigative process to proceed without prejudice.
He reassured citizens of NAF’s resolve to safeguard both national security and civilian lives, while ensuring that all credible concerns are addressed with diligence and seriousness.
In a separate development, troops of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, have apprehended a terrorist fighter found with N850,000 suspected to be meant for the purchase of logistics for the terrorist group behind recent attacks on troops’ locations at Benisheikh and Ngamdu.
In an update, the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said the suspect, identified as Tijjani, aged 15, was arrested on Sunday, 12 April 2026, in Ngamdu, Borno State.
He disclosed that the suspect was among those involved in the coordinated attacks on Benisheikh and Ngamdu on Thursday.
Narrating his role in the attacks, Tijjani said: “Before the attack we came from Jilli and returned there after the attack.
“I was sent from Jilli yesterday with N850,000 to collect some logistics from NGAMDU but I was arrested by troops. Yesterday Saturday I left other fighters my colleagues at Jilli, I don’t know what happened to them there.”
