The Federal Government has defended the April 11 airstrike carried out by the Nigerian Air Force on the Jilli axis in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, insisting that the operation was a precision, intelligence-led mission targeting terrorist positions.
In a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the government said the strike was conducted under Operation Hadin Kai after intelligence identified the area as a terrorist logistics hub and active insurgent corridor. It said the mission was not an indiscriminate attack, but a deliberate operation aimed at disrupting insurgent supply routes and degrading their capacity. The statement followed reports by Amnesty International and residents that more than 100 civilians were killed when military aircraft struck a busy market in Jilli village. The Nigerian military has disputed claims that civilians were deliberately targeted, while acknowledging concerns over casualties.
The government said the Bindul–Jilli corridor had remained a major security flashpoint, citing previous attacks on troops and communities in the area. It added that the strike followed a rigorous targeting process involving the Air Force and the Nigerian Army. While defending the operation, the Federal Government expressed condolences to families affected and said any civilian loss of life was deeply regretted. It also ordered a probe to establish the facts surrounding the incident and address claims of civilian casualties.
Rights groups have demanded an independent investigation, saying the incident fits a troubling pattern of deadly airstrikes that have hit civilians during counter-insurgency operations in northern Nigeria.
Nigeria has battled Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked insurgents since 2009, with the conflict killing tens of thousands and displacing millions across the North-East. The latest controversy is likely to intensify scrutiny of military targeting procedures and civilian protection measures in the counter-terrorism campaign. The government maintained that security forces would continue operations against insurgents, but said accountability and transparency would guide the review of the Jilli strike.
