GOVERNOR Babagana Umar Zulum of Borno State has revealed that the state government shut down Jilli market five years ago for allegedly being a hub for insurgents and their logistics suppliers.
This statement comes after an airstrike at the market claimed over 50 lives on Saturday, April 11.
In a statement issued Sunday, April 12, by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, Zulum warned residents against aiding or harbouring Boko Haram insurgents.
“I have been properly briefed on the airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on Jilli market, a border town between Borno and Yobe states. Let me state categorically that the Borno State Government closed Jilli and Gazabure markets five years ago.”
“I am in close consultation with the Government of Yobe State and the military hierarchy on the matter,” he said.
Zulum explained that Borno State maintains close coordination with the military and security agencies before resettling communities or reopening markets, especially in insurgency-affected areas
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to safeguarding citizens and collaborating with security agencies to restore peace and stability.
The governor urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information to aid military operations.
An earlier report by The ICIR revealed that a military airstrike on Saturday night left dozens of people dead in Jilli axis, Borno State.
The strike, which targeted a village market, occurred as Nigerian military jets were reportedly pursuing Islamist militants in the northeast.
The incident took place in a border community between Yobe and Borno states, a region that remains the epicentre of a long-running insurgency.
Eyewitnesses revealed that there were several civilian casualties affected by the military airstrike, which has attracted criticism, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemning the collateral effects of the airstrike on innocent civilians.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.