A Nigerian Air Force airstrike on a market in northeastern Nigeria killed at least 56 people and wounded dozens more on 11 April, according to a United Nations report, with witnesses, local officials and rights groups warning that civilians were among the dead. The strike hit Jilli, a village on the boundary between Borno and Yobe states — two of the regions most affected by a jihadist insurgency that has plagued northeastern Nigeria since 2009. Some local sources put the death toll at over 100, though the UN figure of 56 remains the most widely cited. The market, a major commercial hub frequented by traders from communities across the Borno-Yobe area, was struck during peak trading hours.
The Nigerian Air Force described the operation as a precision strike on terrorist locations in the Jilli axis, conducted as part of a coordinated air-ground integration operation alongside Nigerian Army troops targeting hideouts linked to Boko Haram and its splinter factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province. However, the Air Force spokesperson did not publicly address reports of civilian casualties. Witnesses told local media that insurgents had entered the market shortly before the strike, apparently to collect levies from traders — a common extortion practice in the region — suggesting the military may have struck a location where combatants and civilians were intermingled. A health worker at the scene said more than 20 injured people received initial treatment, with critical cases transferred to hospitals in nearby Geidam. A local councillor appealed to residents to donate blood to support the wounded.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a prominent Nigerian civil society organisation that monitors governance and security accountability, condemned the strike and called for an independent and transparent investigation. Its executive director warned that recurring civilian deaths in counterterrorism operations point to systemic failures, including weak intelligence verification and insufficient safeguards when striking mixed-use or densely populated areas. The military has acknowledged that the strike may have hit a civilian area and said it has launched an investigation.
The incident is not isolated. A December airstrike in the Mararaba area of Borno State reportedly killed several civilians, including fishermen and commercial drivers, and destroyed at least ten vehicles. Months later, the Air Force has yet to publicly account for that operation. Analysts have repeatedly flagged concerns about targeting accuracy in a conflict where insurgents frequently operate among civilian populations.
The broader context matters: Nigeria has battled a jihadist insurgency for more than 15 years, with violence intensifying in recent years despite sustained military campaigns. The Jilli strike underscores the persistent tension between the urgency of counterterrorism operations and the legal and moral obligation to protect civilian lives — a challenge that is drawing growing international scrutiny and domestic calls for accountability.