The Yobe state government says an air strike that hit Jilli market along the Borno–Yobe border targeted a Boko Haram stronghold in neighbouring Borno state and was not aimed at civilians.
In a Sunday statement, Dahiru Abdulsalam, special adviser on security to the Yobe governor, said the air component of the Joint Task Force’s Operation HADIN KAI conducted the strike on Jilli — described in the statement as a Boko Haram stronghold in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno — on Saturday, 11 April 2025.
Abdulsalam acknowledged that some people from Geidam LGA in Yobe, who had gone to the Jilli weekly market, were affected and have been evacuated to Geidam Specialist Hospital and are receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International condemned the strike, saying witnesses reported three military jets fired on the market and alleging that more than 100 people were killed.
The rights group said Geidam General Hospital’s emergency unit had received at least 35 people with severe injuries.
The organisation criticised the use of air power in a location with civilians, calling such raids unlawful and demanding an immediate, impartial investigation to establish accountability and prevent further civilian harm.
