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NAF airstrikes kill 30 people in Jilli border community of Yobe.
NAF airstrikes kill 30 people in Jilli border community of Yobe.
By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu
No less than 30 people are feared killed after the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) military airstrikes have hit a market in the Jilli border community of Geidam Local Council in Yobe State.
Jilli shares borders with Borno State with the holding of a Saturday weekly market with Geidam town, also a major border community with the Niger Republic.
The incident, which occurred at the popular market, reportedly left many traders and residents in panic with several explosions that disrupted the buying and selling of goods and services, including livestock.
Confirming the airstrikes, in a telephone interview on Sunday in Damaturu, the Councillor of the area, Malam Lawan Zannah, said, “From the information available to us, it was an airstrike, as more than 30 of our people have been confirmed dead,” adding that more than 20 were hospitalised at Geidam General Hospital.
Eyewitnesses also revealed, “The attack on the market and thousands of traders started around 4:00 p.m. while commercial activities were ongoing, with several fighter jets reportedly hitting the market and some traders fleeing for safety in nearby bushes.”
A survivor of airstrikes said, “I counted 56 corpses myself, while more bodies are still being recovered. at market square and nearby farms.
Other sources in the border community indicated that the strike may have been aimed at suspected Boko Haram terrorists, who allegedly gathered in the area, but the bombs reportedly continue to hit the crowded market instead.”
The weekly border market draws many traders from nearby communities, including Gubio, Chiweram, Benisheik, Gurokayeya and Geidam.
The Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters is Brigadier General.-Gen. Abdulsalam Dahiru (rtd), on Sunday also confirmed the incident but said, “Jilli village falls within Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.”
As of press time, the Nigerian Air Force has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident that resulted in the feared deaths of 30 people.
