More than 200 people are feared dead after Nigerian military jets struck a village market in Yobe State, in what appears to be a misdirected airstrike during an operation targeting insurgents.
The incident was reported by Reuters on Sunday, with details gathered from a local councillor, residents, and humanitarian sources, who said the strike occurred on Saturday night.
The military said it had carried out an air operation against Boko Haram militants in the Jilli axis of Borno State, but did not acknowledge hitting a market, suggesting the strike was part of ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the region.
While there has been no official confirmation from the Nigerian Air Force that civilians were hit, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam, military adviser to the Yobe State Government, confirmed that people attending the market were affected.
A local councillor, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, described the scale of the devastation, saying the death toll could exceed 200.
The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also confirmed receiving preliminary reports of the incident, noting that casualties were recorded among traders and that emergency response efforts had been activated.
The incident comes just a day after the Federal Government released a list of 48 individuals and entities allegedly linked to terrorism financing, as part of efforts to curb insurgency.
The list, published on Saturday by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, is part of broader counterterrorism measures aimed at disrupting financial networks supporting armed groups.
Similarly, on Friday, April 10, Nigerian authorities secured convictions against 386 individuals linked to militant Islamist groups, while two were acquitted, eight discharged, and 112 cases adjourned.
Reacting to the incident, former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, said the development “was not just tragic but a devastating failure that should outrage every conscience.”
While condoling with the families of the deceased, he added that “Nigeria must uphold its duty to protect its citizens. That is the ultimate essence of national security.”
Incidents of civilian casualties from military airstrikes are not new in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and banditry, raising ongoing concerns about intelligence accuracy and operational coordination.
Overall, estimates suggest that more than 400 civilians have been killed in accidental or misdirected airstrikes in Nigeria since 2017.