The Presidency has defended the recent military airstrikes on the Jilli market area in a border community between Yobe and Borno States, insisting the operation was deliberate and intelligence-driven. According to government officials, the strike was not a mistake but a targeted action against insurgents who had allegedly turned the location into a logistics and coordination hub.

The Presidency maintained that the site, though still referred to as a market, no longer functioned as a normal civilian trading centre.

It stated that credible intelligence showed that Boko Haram and ISWAP elements had infiltrated and effectively taken over the area, using it as a base for operations. Senior presidential aides described the location as a “legitimate military target.”

The Yobe State Government also backed the position, saying the strike was intentional and based on verified intelligence. Officials argued that security operations in the area were aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and disrupting their supply chains.

The airstrikes have, however, drawn criticism from various quarters amid conflicting reports on civilian casualties.