The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), has insisted that those killed in the Jilli market airstrike in Borno State are not innocent civilians but individuals linked to insurgent support networks.
Musa spoke after a high-level security meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, stating that the military acted on credible intelligence and targeted a location identified as a logistics hub for terrorists.
“There was no innocent person there. Anybody in that location knew what they were doing. They were there for business with terrorists,” he said.
The airstrike has drawn criticism over reports of civilian casualties, but Musa rejected claims of error, insisting the operation was carefully planned and verified.
“We moved based on intelligence, we identified the location, and we hit the target. It was a deliberate operation,” he stated.
He explained that Jilli is not a conventional settlement but a restricted area where insurgents and their collaborators exchange supplies such as food and fuel.
“That place is not a normal civilian market. It is a point where terrorists meet with those who support them, people who bring in supplies,” he said.
Musa added that financial incentives drive activities in the area, with traders fully aware of the risks involved.
“If you take a bag of rice there, you can sell it for as much as N150,000. The attraction is huge. People go there deliberately to make money, fully aware of who they are dealing with,” he added.
He maintained that anyone who knowingly supports insurgents cannot be regarded as innocent under the laws of armed conflict.
“He who supports a terrorist is one of them. Your actions enable them to survive, to fight, and to kill others. That makes you part of the system,” he said.
While acknowledging that some individuals may be forced into such situations, Musa distinguished between victims and willing collaborators.
“There are people who are forced, who are victims themselves, that is different. But those who willingly go into these areas to trade with terrorists are not innocent. They made that choice,” he said.
He also questioned casualty figures reported after the strike, citing a lack of verified evidence.
“Did anybody show pictures? Did anyone confirm those numbers?” he asked.
Musa stressed that disrupting supply chains is key to weakening insurgents in the North-East, warning that those operating in such areas risk being targeted.
“These logisticians are the ones sustaining them. Without them, the terrorists cannot operate. If Nigerians collectively refuse to support these groups, this war can end much faster.”