Nigeria’s protracted war against insurgency in the North-East has come under renewed scrutiny after a student body alleged that a recent military airstrike struck a civilian market, leaving scores dead and many others injured.
The Zone E stakeholders’ forum of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Sunday condemned the operation, which it said mistakenly hit Jilli Market — a busy weekly trading hub along the Borno–Yobe border — instead of intended insurgent targets. In a statement signed by its secretary, Zakari Hashim, the group described the strike as “tragic, avoidable, and unprofessional.”
According to NANS, as many as 200 civilians may have been killed in the incident, with dozens more wounded. The injured are reportedly receiving treatment in hospitals in Geidam and Damaturu.
Allegations of operational failure
The airstrike was said to have been conducted under Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s counterinsurgency campaign targeting Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). However, NANS alleged significant lapses in intelligence gathering and target verification, arguing that such failures have repeatedly placed civilian populations at risk.
The student body warned that incidents of this nature deepen mistrust between local communities and security forces, particularly in regions where civilians already live under the constant threat of insurgent violence.
While acknowledging the military’s efforts in combating insurgency, NANS stressed that operational success cannot be measured solely by militant casualties if civilian lives are lost in the process.
What is known — and what remains unclear
As of the time of reporting, there has been no official confirmation from the Nigerian Air Force or Defence Headquarters regarding the strike or the casualty figures cited by NANS.
The reported death toll of up to 200 remains unverified by independent sources, and details about the specific intelligence that led to the strike have not been made public. It is also unclear whether any internal military review has been initiated.
A recurring dilemma in the North-East
Civilian casualties linked to air operations have been a recurring concern in Nigeria’s North-East conflict zone. Over the years, airstrikes intended for insurgent hideouts have, on several occasions, hit civilian settlements, IDP camps, or local gatherings, often due to faulty intelligence or misidentification of targets.
These incidents highlight the complexity of asymmetric warfare, where insurgents blend into civilian populations, making precision targeting difficult. Yet, they also raise critical questions about rules of engagement, accountability, and the safeguards in place to protect non-combatants.
For residents of border communities such as Gubio and Geidam, the risks are twofold: exposure to insurgent attacks on one hand, and the possibility of being caught in military operations on the other.
Calls for accountability and reform
NANS has called on the Federal Government, Defence Headquarters, and the Nigerian Air Force to launch an independent investigation into the incident. The group also demanded compensation for victims and stricter operational safeguards to prevent future tragedies.
Beyond immediate accountability, the incident is likely to reignite debate over how Nigeria conducts its aerial campaigns in civilian-populated areas — and whether current protocols are sufficient to balance military objectives with humanitarian considerations.
What to watch next
The focus now shifts to the military’s response. Confirmation, denial, or silence will each carry implications for public trust and civil-military relations in the region.
For affected communities, however, the priority remains more immediate: medical care for the injured, support for bereaved families, and assurances that such an ঘটনা will not be repeated.
As the conflict enters another year with no clear end in sight, the challenge for authorities is not only to defeat insurgents but to do so without further eroding the safety and confidence of the very civilians they are meant to protect.
