The Nigerian military has defended an air strike on Jilli village market near the Borno–Yobe border, calling the target a terrorist enclave as public anger grows over reported civilian casualties.

The strike, carried out on Saturday under Operation HADIN KAI, has sparked widespread backlash, with local authorities, political leaders and rights groups condemning the incident amid conflicting accounts of casualties.

Local sources reported the death toll at over 40 civilians, while other reports indicated that figures could be significantly higher, reflecting ongoing confusion and lack of consensus over the exact number of casualties.

The military, however, maintained that the location was a legitimate military target, describing Jilli as a known logistics hub and convergence point for fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province.

In a statement on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said the operation followed sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions that tracked the movements of suspected terrorists, including motorcycles and gun trucks, converging on the area.

“The Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, 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.

Sanni cited 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 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 said, consequently, the Theatre intensified overhead surveillance and intelligence gathering across the area in response to persistent reports of terrorist movement and logistics activity.

According to him, multiple reports were received on 11 April 2026, stating 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 on 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.

“It is imperative to state that, in line with established operational procedures, a rigorous and professional targeting process was undertaken”, he added.

He further noted that target fidelity was confirmed through multiple credible human intelligence sources, supported by persistent aerial surveillance.

“Upon final validation, the Air Component executed a series of precision strikes on the objective, while surveillance platforms maintained continuous overwatch for real-time battle damage assessment,” he said.

“Equally important to know, the post-strike assessment confirmed that the target area was struck with high accuracy, destroying the identified terrorist logistics enclave. Scores of terrorists were neutralised in the strike, with their vehicles and technicals destroyed, while surviving elements were observed fleeing in multiple directions.”

According to him, intelligence further indicates that the neutralised elements were in the final stages of receiving logistics from couriers, for coordinated attacks on troop locations within the Gubio axis.

“This decisive action has therefore significantly disrupted imminent terrorist plans and degraded their operational capability within the Theatre,” he stated.

He further explained that on Sunday, a terrorist logistics courier identified as “Turja Bulu”, was arrested at Ngamdu Town, and upon preliminary investigation confessed that he took part in the attack at 29 Bde location on 9 April 2026 at Benisheik and had been dispatched by ISWAP from Jilli where most of his fellow terrorists were hibernating to provide food items for another group of terrorists currently hibernating around the Magumeri-Gubio general area.

“This successful strike is yet another demonstration of 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.”

He reiterates the command’s ban on the use of motorcycles across the North-East operational theatre, particularly in Borno and Yobe States, due to their established and continued use by terrorist elements for movement, logistics, and attack operations.

“Any such movements in restricted areas are therefore treated with the utmost seriousness in line with existing operational directives,” he said.

However, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that civilians, including traders, were affected in what it described as an accidental air strike at the Jilli Saturday Market in Gubio Local Government Area.

According to the agency, victims included residents from Geidam in Yobe State who had crossed into the border community for market activities.

“The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency wishes to inform the general public that it has received preliminary reports of an incident on Saturday evening at Jilli Saturday Market in Gubio Local Government Area bordering Geidam, which reportedly resulted in casualties affecting some traders from Geidam LGA, Yobe State.

“In response, SEMA, as directed by Governor Mai Mala Buni, in collaboration with relevant security agencies and health authorities, has immediately activated emergency response mechanisms and deployed assessment teams to the affected area to ascertain the facts and provide necessary support to victims,” the statement added.

Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, warned residents against aiding, harbouring, or providing logistical support to Boko Haram insurgents.

In a statement on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dauda Iliya, Zulum described the Jilli market as a notorious hub allegedly used by insurgents and their logistics suppliers.