A tragic incident has been reported at Jilli Market, located along the Borno–Yobe border, where dozens of people are feared dead following an airstrike during market activities, Peak Newspaper reports.
According to reports, the strike happened on Saturday, April 11, at the busy weekly market, which usually attracts traders and buyers from surrounding communities in both Borno and Yobe states.
Early accounts say the operation was believed to be targeting suspected insurgents, but the strike reportedly affected traders and other civilians at the market.
Witnesses said the explosion occurred in the afternoon while business was ongoing, leaving many dead and several others injured. Some of the wounded were reportedly taken to the Specialist Hospital in Geidam for treatment.
In a reaction, the Yobe State Government said the airstrike was carried out by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai and insisted that the target was Jilli, which it described as a Boko Haram stronghold in Borno State, not civilians. However, it acknowledged that some people from Geidam Local Government Area who had gone to the market were affected.
The incident has triggered grief and concern across the region, especially as residents continue to count their losses after the deadly strike.
