Jilli bombing: Military put up defense, says village long abandoned by residents
The military has defended the air strike on Jilli market along the Borno-Yobe border.
Several people were reportedly killed and injured due to the strike which occurred on Saturday at the market located between Gubio and Geidam LGAs of Yobe and Borno states.
The Yobe state government said the operation was carried out during a military operation targeted at suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the area.
The Amnesty International has condemned the air strike, alleging that 100 people were killed during the operation.
In a statement on Sunday, Sani Uba, the spokesperson of the Operation Hadin Kai in the north-east, said the operation was conducted on April 11 following intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul-Jilli axis.
The military described the operation as a precision strike on a suspected terrorist enclave, logistics hub, and their collaborators in Jilli area of Gubio LGA of Borno state.
Uba said the area was identified as a movement corridor and convergence point for fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and their collaborators.
Advertisement
He noted that the strike followed recent attacks in the region, including an improvised explosive device (IED) incident in January along Bindul route, which led to the death of eight soldiers, and coordinated attacks on April 9 in Ngamdu and Benisheik.
The military said the aerial surveillance observed motorcycles and vehicles converging near Jilli, with the movement later corroborated by human intelligence sources.
“More recently, on 9 April, coordinated attacks were recorded in Ngamdu and Benisheik, supported by the same terrorist logistics network. Consequently, the Theatre intensified overhead surveillance and intelligence gathering across the area in response to persistent reports of terrorist movement and logistics activity.
“On 11 April 2026, multiple reports were received of ISWAP gun trucks (GT) and motorcycles (MC) moving along the axis,” the statement said.
Uba said the military carried out a “rigorous” targeting process before executing the air strikes.
“Post-strike assessment confirmed that the target area was struck with high accuracy, resulting in the destruction of 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,” the statement reads.
The military said intelligence suggested those targeted were preparing logistics for planned attacks on troop locations in Gubio axis.
The military further said “Turja Bulu”, a suspected logistics courier, was arrested on April 12 in Ngamdu and allegedly confessed to involvement in a previous attack in Benisheik.
The task force reiterated that the use of motorcycles remains prohibited across the north-east operational theatre, especially in Borno and Yobe.
