Nigerian Army denies market airstrike, confirms precision attack on terrorist hub

Crime Diary

ABUJA, Nigeria, 12 April 2026 (NPA) — The Nigerian Army has dismissed allegations that it carried out an airstrike on a market, insisting that its latest operation targeted a terrorist enclave and logistics hub.

In a statement, the Army said the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI conducted a precision strike on 11 April near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area. The operation followed sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis, an area identified as a major corridor for Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) movements. The Army emphasized that the strike was carefully planned and executed to neutralize terrorist elements and disrupt imminent attacks.

The military recalled that in January 2026, eight soldiers were killed in an IED attack along the Gubio–Damasak road, while coordinated assaults were recorded in Ngamdu and Benisheik earlier this month. Intelligence reports indicated that terrorists were converging on Jilli with vehicles and motorcycles to receive logistics for further attacks. According to the Army, the precision strike destroyed the logistics hub, neutralized scores of terrorists, and forced survivors to flee in multiple directions.

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Post-strike assessments confirmed the destruction of vehicles and supplies, significantly degrading ISWAP’s operational capacity in the area. The Army also reported the arrest of a logistics courier, identified as Turja Bulu, in Ngamdu on 12 April. During interrogation, he confessed to participating in the 9 April attack on Benisheik and admitted he had been dispatched from Jilli to deliver food to terrorists in the Magumeri–Gubio axis.

The Army stressed that the operation was conducted in line with professional targeting procedures and denied any civilian casualties. It described the action as a decisive blow against terrorist networks, aimed at safeguarding communities and reinforcing security in the North East.