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No fewer than 56 persons have been feared killed following an airstrike that struck a busy weekly market along the border of Borno and Yobe states on Saturday.
The incident occurred at Jilli Market, situated between Gubio and Geidam Local Government Areas, where traders and buyers had gathered for routine commercial activities.
Sources said the strike was believed to have been carried out during a military operation targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents reportedly sighted in the area.
The market is known to attract large crowds from neighbouring communities, including Gubio, Chiweram, and Benisheikh in Borno State, as well as Gurokayeya and Geidam in Yobe State.
It was gathered that a fighter jet had trailed suspected insurgents who allegedly visited the market to collect levies and procure supplies, but the operation reportedly went awry, hitting civilians instead.
An eyewitness said the attack occurred in the afternoon while trading activities were ongoing, leaving scores dead and several others injured.
“The incident happened around 2:46 p.m. when people were buying and selling. We suddenly heard loud explosions as jets bombed the area,” the source said.
“I counted about 56 lifeless bodies and assisted in taking some injured victims to the hospital. Rescue efforts are still ongoing, and the casualty figure may rise,” the witness added.
Another source disclosed that at least 14 injured persons were taken to the Specialist Hospital in Geidam for treatment.
Confirming the development, the councillor of Fichimaram Ward, Malam Lawan Zanna, said the casualties were significant, noting that several victims had been hospitalised.
According to him, many people attempted to flee when the jets struck, but multiple explosions worsened the situation, leading to more casualties.
He added that some of the injured victims were later referred to a teaching hospital in Damaturu, while others succumbed to their injuries.
Also reacting, the Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru (retd.), confirmed the incident but clarified that the affected community falls within Borno State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Air Force had yet to issue an official statement on the airstrike.
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