Nigerian military airstrike kills civilians in Jilli market, sparking investigation calls
Consensus Summary
A Nigerian Air Force airstrike on April 12, 2026, targeted a market in Jilli, near the Yobe-Borno border, reportedly killing at least 100 civilians, including children, according to Amnesty International and local media. The military claimed it struck a terrorist logistics hub linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), but survivors and traders denied jihadists were present, raising questions about the strike’s accuracy. While the Nigerian Air Force launched an internal investigation, Amnesty International called for an independent probe, citing a pattern of civilian deaths in past airstrikes, with over 500 reported since 2017. The Yobe state government confirmed civilians were affected, though exact death tolls vary, with local officials reporting over 200 fatalities. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about military accountability and the high civilian cost of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts in the north-east, where a decade-long jihadi insurgency persists.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A Nigerian Air Force airstrike on Jilli market (border of Yobe and Borno states) on April 12, 2026, killed at least 100 civilians, including children, according to Amnesty International and local media.
- The Nigerian military claimed the strike targeted a 'terrorist enclave and logistics hub' linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) jihadist group.
- The Nigerian Air Force acknowledged a 'Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell' would investigate the incident, though Amnesty International demanded an independent probe.
- Local councillor Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam reported over 200 deaths in the airstrike, though Amnesty International cited at least 100 confirmed deaths.
- The Yobe state government confirmed civilians were affected, stating 'some people who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected'.
- At least 500 civilians have died in Nigerian military airstrikes since 2017, according to an Associated Press tally.
- The airstrike occurred in the north-eastern region of Nigeria, which has been ravaged by a jihadi insurgency for over a decade.
- The Nigerian military prohibited motorcycles in conflict hotspots, and the strike targeted movements in restricted areas.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Nigerian Air Force initially said it had killed Boko Haram militants in the area before acknowledging civilian casualties.
- Ahmed Ali, a 34-year-old market vendor, said he was injured and described fleeing the blast with a friend.
- Abdulmumin Bulama, a member of a civilian security group, claimed credible intelligence suggested Boko Haram terrorists were near the market planning an attack.
- Local officials confirmed a 'misfire' but did not provide further details.
- The Nigerian military statement mentioned 'scores of terrorists were neutralised in the strike' without specifying civilian deaths.
- Survivors and observers questioned the military’s rationale for bombing a busy market, with traders denying jihadists were present.
- Malik Samuel, a researcher with Good Governance Africa, stated it was 'impossible' for an airstrike to distinguish between fighters and civilians at a busy market.
- The US carried out airstrikes on the Lakurawa group in north-west Nigeria on Christmas Day 2025.
- Isa Sanusi (Amnesty International) said the military 'exonerates itself' in self-investigations, undermining trust in public institutions.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Nigerian military claims the strike targeted a 'terrorist enclave and logistics hub' with high accuracy, while survivors and traders deny jihadists were present at the market.
- Amnesty International reports at least 100 deaths, while local councillor Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam claims over 200 deaths, with no consensus on the exact toll.
- The Nigerian Air Force initially stated it killed Boko Haram militants, but later acknowledged civilian casualties, creating conflicting narratives about the strike’s intent.
- The Yobe state government admitted civilians were affected but did not specify the number, while the military statement focused solely on 'neutralising terrorists'.
- The Associated Press tally of 500 civilian deaths since 2017 is cited by both sources, but the Nigerian military has not publicly acknowledged or investigated these figures independently.
Source Articles
Nigerian military air strike on market reportedly kills more than 100 civilians
Amnesty International calls for an independent investigation into an air strike on a Nigerian market, where the country's military says it was targeting militants.
Nigerian airstrike targeting jihadists reportedly kills at least 100 civilians
Officials confirm misfire as Amnesty gives death toll after speaking to survivors of strike on market in Yobe state A Nigerian air force strike targeting jihadist rebels hit a market in north-east Nigeria, killing more than 100 people and injuring many others, Amnesty International and local media have said. Officials confirmed a misfire had occurred but did not provide details. Continue reading...
Survivors ask why Nigeria bombed busy market in effort to target jihadist group
Devastating attack killed up to 200 people, many of them civilians, with military saying it was a ‘precision airstrike’ Survivors and observers have questioned the Nigerian military’s rationale for a devastating airstrike on a busy market that killed as many as 200 people, many of them civilians. The hit on Jilli market on the border of the north-eastern Borno and Yobe states on Saturday is the latest in a string of attacks by the country’s air force over the past decade with a high civilian dea