No fewer than 30 people are feared killed after a military airstrike struck a weekly market at Jilli village, located along the border between Borno State and Yobe State, on Saturday evening.
The incident, which occurred at the popular Jilli Market between Gubio and Geidam areas of Yobe State, reportedly left traders and residents in panic as explosions rocked the busy trading centre.
A councillor in the area, Lawan Zannah, confirmed the casualty figures in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online on Sunday.
He said, ‘From the information available to us, it was an airstrike. Over 30 people have been confirmed dead, and more than 20 were hospitalised’.
Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred around 4:00 p.m. while commercial activities were ongoing, with several fighter jets reportedly involved in the operation.
One witness said, ‘I counted 56 corpses myself, more bodies are still being recovered’.
Sources indicated that the strike may have been aimed at suspected Boko Haram insurgents who allegedly gathered in the area, but the bombs reportedly hit the crowded market instead.
The weekly market draws traders from surrounding communities including Gubio, Chiweram, Benisheikh, Gurokayeya and Geidam.
The Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru (retd.), on Sunday confirmed the incident but said Jilli village falls within Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed carrying out an air operation in the Jilli axis of Borno State, describing the mission as part of ongoing efforts to sustain pressure on terrorist groups operating in the North-East.
