‘No one killed in Jilli was innocent’ — Defence Minister defends airstrike as death toll reportedly hits 100
Minister of Defence Christopher Musa has insisted that none of the individuals who lost their lives in the controversial Jilli market airstrike was innocent civilians. He further hinted that the recent surge in terrorist attacks across Nigeria’s north-east may have political undertones
Musa made the remarks following a high-level security meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, during which the administration sought to defend the military operation that has drawn widespread condemnation from Nigerians and international organisations alike.
On the Jilli airstrike — which took place on Saturday, April 11, in a boundary community between Borno and Yobe states — the minister was unequivocal. “There was no innocent person there. Anybody in that location knew what they were doing. They were there for business with terrorists,” he said.
He described Jilli not as a conventional settlement but as a known logistics hub where insurgents and their collaborators exchange supplies, including food and fuel.
Musa also dismissed casualty figures that have circulated since the strike, questioning their basis. “Did anybody show pictures? Did anyone confirm those numbers?” he asked. Amnesty International had alleged that approximately 100 non-combatants were killed in the bombing. The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency also confirmed that a market was struck and that scores of civilians were among the casualties.
The minister drew a firm line between those he described as victims — people forced into cooperation with terrorists — and what he called willing collaborators. “There are people who are forced, who are victims themselves — that is different. But those who willingly go into these areas to trade with terrorists are not innocent. They made that choice,” he said.
He extended the warning beyond Jilli, declaring that anyone found providing logistics or trade support to bandits or terrorist groups would henceforth be treated as an insurgent. “A friend of a thief is a thief,” Musa said. “Anybody that is doing any trading, any support to them — we find you together with them, we’re going to deal with you like the bandits, like the terrorists.”
On the broader uptick in attacks across the north-east, Musa suggested the timing and pattern of the violence pointed to possible political motivation, though he did not name specific actors or elaborate further. He also warned against the spread of misinformation on social media, urging Nigerians to verify security-related information through official military channels rather than unverified online reports.
Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan has separately called for a full, transparent, and independent inquiry into the Jilli strike. “Without prejudice to the integrity of our military, I believe the victims — largely innocent civilians going about their daily livelihoods at a local market — deserve answers and justice,” he said, adding that the war against terror must never be allowed to erode respect for innocent human life.
The military has maintained that the operation was a precision strike based on sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions that tracked the movement of suspected ISWAP fighters and their logistics network in the area.
