Nigerian Military Airstrikes: Over 400 Civilians Killed from Rann to Jilli Market Bombing
From 2017 to date, the Nigerian military has faced persistent allegations of accidentally bombing about 409 unarmed civilians during operations targeting terrorists and bandits across northern Nigeria.
While the military has rejected some of these claims, maintaining that its operations were directed at terrorist elements, multiple reports indicate that several unsuspecting civilians have lost their lives in erroneous airstrikes.
PulseNets learnt that on January 17, 2017, a Nigerian Air Force jet mistakenly bombed an Internally Displaced Persons camp near the Cameroonian border in Rann, Borno State.
The tragic strike resulted in the death of at least 115 people, including about six Red Cross workers, while more than 100 IDPs sustained injuries. The incident drew widespread coverage across local and international media platforms.
A similar development occurred on December 25, 2024, in Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa villages in Surame Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
According to BBC reports, military airstrikes targeting the Lakurawa terror group in the area mistakenly killed at least ten innocent villagers.
Although the military initially denied the incident, Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, insisted that 10 villagers were killed and several others injured during the operation.
“The military jets were on their mission to eliminate criminal armed groups terrorizing the state, and mistakenly bombed innocent people of this community,” Aliyu said in a statement after visiting the scene.
PulseNets reported that the then Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, later accused the affected communities of harbouring Lakurawa terrorists.
Musa, however, admitted that the airstrike intended to flush out the group mistakenly hit Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, leading to civilian casualties and injuries.
In December 2023, a Nigerian Army drone strike also accidentally killed several civilians observing a Muslim festival in Tudun Biri village, Kaduna State.
PulseNets learnt that villagers had gathered for a Maulud celebration when, around 9pm, they heard an aircraft before a massive explosion occurred.
Amnesty International stated that no fewer than 120 unarmed civilians were killed in the strike.
Earlier, on December 18, 2022, an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force killed at least 64 people in Mutumji village, Zamfara State.
Reports indicated that the operation was aimed at bandits but allegedly struck innocent villagers.
On January 24, 2023, another military airstrike allegedly killed about 50 herders in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria said the victims were herders attempting to retrieve seized cattle from Benue livestock guards when the explosion occurred.
When the then Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, visited the area, he stated that the military acted on intelligence suggesting terrorist activity.
The most recent incident occurred on Saturday, April 11, 2026, when the military allegedly struck Jilli Market in Yobe State, near Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.
About 50 civilians were reportedly killed, with several others seriously injured.
The military, however, maintained that the location was a legitimate target, describing Jilli as a logistics hub and convergence point for ISWAP fighters.
In a statement on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said the strike followed sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations tracking suspected terrorists, including motorcycles and gun trucks converging in the area.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force said it had taken note of reports alleging an erroneous strike on Jilli Market.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, stated that the force treats all reports of civilian harm with seriousness and empathy, emphasizing that protecting innocent lives remains central to its operations.
He added that the Chief of Air Staff had directed the immediate activation of the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell to conduct a fact-finding mission at the location.
PulseNets reported that the latest development has triggered widespread reactions, with Nigerians demanding a thorough investigation and improved intelligence gathering.
Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi, reacting to the incident, questioned the accountability of those responsible for the operation, asking who authorised and executed the bombings affecting civilians.
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He called on the Senate to urgently conduct hearings into what he described as repeated “mistakes” involving strikes on villages, markets, and other civilian areas.
On his part, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, backed the military, stating on Sunday that the market in question had been shut down five years ago.
