The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has defended the airstrike on Jilli village market near the Borno–Yobe border.
NOP NIGERIA reports that over 200 civilians have been reported dead from the airstrike.
The military said the location was a terrorist logistics hub used by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province, insisting the operation followed sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
According to the military, the strike was based on verified intelligence showing movement of motorcycles and gun trucks linked to suspected terrorists converging in the area.
However, local sources and emergency authorities have disputed the outcome, with the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency confirming that civilians were affected in what it described as an accidental strike.
Reacting to a tweet by a radio broadcaster, Osasu Suave, who questioned whether images circulating online resembled a market, Olusegun stated that anyone doing business with terrorists constitutes a legitimate military target.
The broadcaster had written, “For once, look at this image again. Does this look like a market to you?”
Responding, Olusegun stated, “Anyone who is doing business with terrorists are legitimate military targets for our nation’s armed forces and not civilians.”
The Defence Headquarters has maintained that Jilli village had long been identified as a terrorist logistics corridor and convergence point for insurgents.
