No fewer than 50 people are feared killed and many others injured following suspected accidental airstrikes at Jilli Market near Fuchimiram Village in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State. Jilli is a border community with Damasak in Borno State and is located over 200 kilometres from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
The incident, reported by residents and local sources on Saturday, has not been officially confirmed. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred while traders were carrying out their normal business activities at the market.
An eyewitness who visited Geidam Specialist Hospital and shared images said several victims were receiving emergency medical attention, adding that the hospital’s Accident and Emergency unit has been overstretched as more injured persons continue to arrive.
Another local source said that a military fighter jet was tracking the movement of suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the area, who were reportedly said to have moved to the market to collect levies from residents before the incident occurred. Both Yobe and Borno state governments have yet to confirm the incident. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed carrying out air operations in the Jilli axis, though it did not state whether any civilian casualties were recorded.
In a statement signed by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the NAF said it conducted precision followup mop-up airstrikes on identified terrorist locations within the Jilli axis of Borno State on April 11, 2026. According to the statement, the mission was part of a coordinated air-ground operation with the Nigerian Army under Operation HADIN KAI, targeting fleeing insurgents and regrouping cells in the area.
“Coming amid intensified efforts to track and neutralise terrorist elements responsible for recent attacks on security forces within the wider theatre, the follow-on strikes were aimed at fleeing remnants and regrouping cells seeking to exploit the difficult terrain,” the statement stated.
It added that the operation was based on credible intelligence and was aimed at consolidating earlier gains by security forces, noting that such actions are intended to deny terrorists freedom of movement and prevent attacks on both security positions and civilian communities.
The Air Force said the strikes form part of ongoing efforts to secure lives, protect property, and stabilise vulnerable areas across Borno State and the wider North-East region, while reaffirming its commitment to counter-terrorism operations.
However, the statement did not make any reference to casualties or confirm the their formal inauguration would “take place on May 12, or on a later date to be duly communicated by the National Working Committee.” ADC charged the elected state party leaders to remain steadfast in their dedication to the ideals and vision of the party.
“The task ahead requires unity, discipline, incident reported by residents in the affected area. Incidentally, if confirmed this will be the latest in a number of “accidental airstrikes” on non-combatants by NAF. For instance, less than three weeks after a December 25, 2024 military airstrike in Sokoto State reportedly killed 10 villagers, an airstrike in Zamfara State resulted in more accidental deaths.
The victims, who the military wrongly identified as bandits, were members of a local vigilante group and farmers in the vicinity of Tungar Kara village, Zurmi Local Government Area.
A Tungar Kara villager, one of the first on the scene, had told Human Rights Watch then that he found 17 dead bodies and over 30 others injured. A year later in December 2025, NAF finally paid compensation to the victims of Gidan Bisa and Rumtuwa villages in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
