FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has on Sunday, January 12, condemned the recent military airstrike in Jilli axis of Borno State, raising concerns over civilian casualties during counter-insurgency operations.
While targeting insurgents, innocent Nigerians were once again reduced to collateral damage, he said, questioning how long citizens would remain unsafe both from terrorists and from operations meant to protect them.
“Just a few days ago, the United States deployed over 150 aircraft and spent an estimated $300 million to rescue just one pilot in Iran, even destroying equipment worth over $100 million each to protect a single life. That is the value they place on one citizen. Here at home, we must ask: what is the value of Nigerian lives? This demands urgent review, accountability, and decisive action to prevent a recurrence,” he added.
The former vice president extended condolences to the families of victims and affected communities, urging the government to uphold its responsibility to protect citizens.
A military airstrike on Saturday night has 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.
While local sources and residents report a high civilian toll at a village market, the Nigerian military has maintained that the operation was a precision strike targeting a high-level terrorist logistics hub.
In an official statement released by the Nigerian Army regarding Operation HADIN KAI, the Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East) confirmed it conducted a precision strike on April 11, 2026.
According to the military, the target was an abandoned village near Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area, which had been identified as a major movement corridor for Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.