April 11, 2026, started as a normal day for traders and residents of Jilli community

April 11, 2026, started as a normal day for traders and residents of Jilli community. But the day turned gloomy as over 280 people were feared killed in an airstrike in a remote desert market in Borno State.

Deep inside the vast and unforgiving Sahara Desert, along the volatile border between Borno and Yobe states in northeastern Nigeria, a remote trading settlement known as Jilli was reduced to ruins in a single day.

What was once a lifeline market for scattered desert communities, a place where farmers, herders and traders gathered for business transactions despite escalating insecurity challenges in the region, became the centre of one of the deadliest and most controversial airstrikes in Nigeria’s recent military history.

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The Nigerian Air Force insists that the operation targeted Boko Haram and Islamic State, West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, but survivors narrate a different story: one of civilians, traders, women and children caught in a strike they couldn’t escape.

This investigation went deep into the region, accessed exclusive narration from the aftermath of the strike, speaking to survivors, security experts and government officials to recall what really happened in Jilli.

A remote on the edge of survival

Located in the Dabira ward of Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, Jilli has endured more than a decade of insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP terror groups.

The area sits far from major urban centres, with limited infrastructure, weak government presence and vast stretches of desert separating communities. In many parts of this region, state authority is minimal or absent; yet life continues.

Markets like Jilli emerge not out of safety but necessity. For many residents, the journey to official markets such as Gubio is too expensive, far and often too dangerous. As a result, informal desert markets become essential survival hubs.

But they also exist in the shadow of war, where insurgents move, soldiers operate, and civilians are often indistinguishable from the battlefield.

On the day of the incident, Jilli market operated like any other day as traders gathered from surrounding villages, selling grains, livestock, food and basic goods. Families came together, not only to trade but to survive. According to survivors, the first explosion triggered panic. People scattered, unsure of what was happening; some thought it was an accident or a mechanical explosion. Moments later, a second strike followed. When the dust settled, bodies lay scattered across the market.

The Nigerian military later described the operation as a targeted strike against terror elements. But survivors insist that there were no armed fighters in the market that day.

‘Almost my entire family is gone’

One of the most emotional accounts came from Ibrahim Mohammed, a survivor who said he nearly lost his entire family in the strike. Standing amid the ruins, he recalled arriving at the market after the attack in search of his relatives.

“I discovered that my siblings had been killed. My father and brothers had gone to trade that day. I saw many dead bodies, tea sellers, bean cake vendors and traders all lying there.

“People like Shoni, Bamori, Babari Chonlu, Umaru, Warsu, Gimsimi, Abubakar, Modu Bukar, Bulama and many others were killed,” he said, describing the situation as unforgettable.

Mohammed also said the tragedy was not only personal but deeply political.

“For over 10 years, we have been fleeing from Boko Haram and ISWAP. But now, even the military meant to protect us is bombing us,” he said.

He strongly rejected claims that insurgents were present in the market, saying,

“We confirmed from the bodies that no one had a gun. These were ordinary villagers. The military only said these things to defend themselves,” he alleged.

A visit to Jilli revealed a landscape of destruction as burnt wooden stalls stand where traders once gathered. Charred remains of structures are scattered across the sand. The silence is heavy, broken only by the wind moving through the ruins. The market is barely recognisable.

Our correspondent got to Jilli after a difficult journey through a desert terrain described as insecure and inaccessible. The route took nearly two hours from Gubio Local Government Area, the last stronghold of the Nigerian military, passing through vast open spaces with no security presence. At several points, a movement consistent with armed groups was observed in the wider area, underscoring the complexity of the conflict zone. Yet, despite the risks, civilians continue to live in and move through these spaces with little or no options for them.

Survivors

Among the survivors is a 23-year-old Umar who lost his leg in the airstrike.

He had travelled to Jilli market to sell fried yam and eggs, a business he had sustained for nearly five years.

“We were in the market when we heard a loud sound. Some people said it was a tyre explosion. Then the aircraft came again. That was when everything changed.

“I didn’t see any Boko Haram member; everyone there was a trader.

‘My leg is gone, but the trauma is worse. I don’t think I can ever go back to that market,” he said, estimating that more than 200 people were affected.

Umar also said the physical injuries he sustained were only part of his suffering.

Like many others, he said poverty forced him to trade at Jilli rather than travel to safer but more expensive markets.

For many residents of Gubio and surrounding communities, the decision to trade at Jilli is not optional.

Weekend Trust reports that transporting goods to official markets is costly. Security escorts are rare. Roads are unsafe. As a result, informal desert markets persist despite the risks. Farmers and traders said they were trapped between insecurity and poverty.

A farmer, Zarami Fantami, also said: “I farm grains, beans and groundnuts. Taking them to Gubio is too expensive, so we sell locally. That’s why Jilli market exists.”

Fantami recalled how he was about closing the trade of the day when the airstrike struck. He said, “I was already going out of the market where I tied my cattle when the incident happened. Usually, when I purchased goods from the market, I would bring them to where my cattle were. So when I heard the first blast, I ran to release my cattle to flee while others with vehicles ran. Unfortunately, I couldn’t and was caught in it.

“When the two aircraft returned the second time and dropped the bomb, I felt breeze and realised that my leg was broken.

“Those vehicles they call gun trucks are sometimes conflicting with the normal transport used by villagers.”

According to him, civilians are often misidentified in conflict zones.

In Maiduguri, survivors receiving treatment at the State Specialist Hospital echoed similar accounts, saying they saw no armed fighters at the market during the strike.

However, the Nigerian military has released images it claims show ISWAP gun trucks and motorcycles operating along the axis before the attack. This discrepancy has become central to the controversy.

Reacting to this claim, Abubakar Goni, another survivor, said: “Those killed were villagers – people who went to sell grains and livestock. They are close to 80, maybe more,” adding that the attack left entire families devastated.

Timeline of airstrikes

The Jilli airstrike is not the first in Nigeria. In recent years, multiple airstrikes across northern Nigeria resulted in civilian casualties. Between January and May 2026 alone, over 300 deaths have been reported in airstrike incidents.

On January 11, 2025, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike happened in Tungar Kara village, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, mistakenly killing at least 16 civilians, including local vigilantes and farmers. On February 15, 2025, another Nigerian Air Force airstrike accidentally killed at least six civilians in Yauni community, Zakka Ward of Safana Local Government Area, Katsina State.

Again, on June 1, 2025, a Nigerian military airstrike targeting suspected bandits in Maraya and Wabi villages of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, mistakenly killing at least 20 local vigilantes and civilians.

On December 13, 2025, Nigerian Air Force airstrikes on Tashan Mararaba Motor Park near Monguno in Borno State reportedly struck more than 50 commercial vehicles waiting to transport fishermen, resulting in significant civilian casualties.

Then, on April 11, 2026, the Jilli Market airstrike, which reportedly killed more than 280 people. Following the Jilli incident, two other major military airstrikes were reported. On May 10, 2026, an airstrike on Tumfa Market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State reportedly resulted in civilian casualties exceeding 100.

Also in May 2026, military airstrikes in Shiroro and Rafi Local Government Areas of Niger State reportedly killed an unspecified number of civilians, including fleeing residents.

For human rights advocates, the recurring nature of these incidents points to systemic failures.

They argue that without independent oversight, investigations and accountability, civilian casualties will continue.

They also stress that communities like Jilli exist in legal and physical grey zones, where governance is weak, insurgency is active, and civilians remain unprotected.

Accountability missing – Amnesty International

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has described the incident as part of a troubling pattern. Isa Sanusi, the country director of Amnesty International, said: “We have been documenting airstrikes since 2017. In every case, civilian casualties have been recorded, and safeguards appear insufficient.

“These incidents are happening almost every month. It is really disturbing. When security operations meant to protect people end up killing them, the purpose is defeated.”

Sanusi called for an independent investigation, saying: “The military cannot investigate itself. We need an independent judicial panel to determine what went wrong and ensure accountability.”

Security experts said the Jilli incident highlighted the difficulty of distinguishing between civilian and militant activities in asymmetric warfare.

A retired Nigerian Air Force wing commander, Musa Salmanu, said while errors could occur during military operations, repeated incidents demand closer scrutiny.

“Mistakes can happen, but the issue is accountability. When such incidents become frequent, it suggests that something is not being done correctly.

“It is important to review the techniques, training, procedures and weapons being used, as well as how those weapons are deployed. We must also examine the quality and credibility of the intelligence guiding these operations. Those are the ways such incidents can be prevented,” he said.

Salmanu noted that insurgents often operated among civilian populations, making target identification difficult.

However, he warned that errors in identification could have devastating consequences for innocent people.

Explaining the legal and operational framework governing airstrikes, he said international humanitarian law required military commanders to balance military necessity with the obligation to protect civilians.

“You must determine the military advantage of a strike and ensure that civilian harm is minimised. Target verification is a primary responsibility in every operation,” he said.

He stressed that while mistakes are possible, robust intelligence gathering and verification procedures are essential to reducing the risk of civilian casualties.

The incident has renewed questions about intelligence gathering and target verification processes used before airstrikes are authorised in conflict zones.

A community at crossroads

As night falls over the ruins of Jilli market, silence returns to a place once filled with trade and life. For survivors, the pain is immediate and personal.

For the authorities, the operation is justified by security concerns.

But for the people of Jilli, the reality lies somewhere in between, in a landscape where survival itself has become dangerous.

And across the desert, one question continues to echo: How many more civilians must die before accountability becomes part of Nigeria’s war against insurgency? A silent question many dread the response.

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