Jilli air raid: No civilians caught in crossfire, says Defence Minister

General Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defence, has come out in defence of the recent airstrike on Jilli in Borno State, asserting that the individuals killed were not innocent civilians, but rather those who were actively supporting insurgents.

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Musa made this statement during an interview on Arise TV, which took place after a high-level security meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, where he emphasized that the strike was based on credible intelligence and targeted a known hub for terrorist logistics and supplies.

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According to Musa, the location of the strike was not a place where innocent civilians would normally be found, as he stated, "There was no innocent person there, anybody in that location knew what they were doing, they were there for business with terrorists."

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The airstrike has sparked controversy and debate over Nigeria's counterinsurgency tactics, with many questioning the balance between military necessity and civilian protection, but Musa has dismissed suggestions of operational error or faulty intelligence.

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He maintained that the military acted on verified information and struck at the right time, saying, "We moved based on intelligence, we identified the location, and we hit the target, it was a deliberate operation."

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Musa explained that the Jilli area had long been designated a no-go zone due to its use by insurgents and their collaborators, and that it served as a marketplace where individuals supplied food, fuel, and materials to terrorist groups operating in the region.

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He described the location as "not a normal civilian market", but rather "a point where terrorists meet with those who support them—people who bring in supplies, including items used to sustain their operations".

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According to Musa, economic incentives have driven individuals to engage in such activities, with traders able to make significant profits by selling goods to insurgents in remote areas, with a bag of rice potentially selling for as much as N150,000.

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He argued that individuals who knowingly provide logistics or financial support to insurgents cannot be classified as innocent civilians under the laws of armed conflict, stating, "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".

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The Defence Minister acknowledged that the distinction between civilians and combatants can be complex in asymmetric warfare, but insisted that the military remains careful in its targeting decisions, drawing a clear line between those coerced into cooperation and those who willingly engage with insurgents for profit.

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Musa stressed that those who willingly go into these areas to trade with terrorists are not innocent, saying, "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".

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Reports following the strike suggested that dozens of people may have been killed, raising concerns among rights groups and local communities, but Musa questioned the credibility of such claims, noting the absence of verifiable evidence.

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He asked, "Did anybody show pictures, did anyone confirm those numbers?", casting doubt on casualty figures circulating in the media, and also referenced feedback from local authorities to support his position that Jilli was not a conventional civilian settlement.

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Musa argued that continued collaboration between civilians and insurgents is a major factor prolonging the conflict in the North-East, stressing that cutting off such support networks would significantly weaken terrorist groups, saying, "These logisticians are the ones sustaining them, without them, the terrorists cannot operate".

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He emphasized that if Nigerians collectively refuse to support these groups, the war can end much faster, and also warned that individuals who expose themselves by engaging with insurgents risk being caught in military operations, saying, "If you make yourself available in that environment, you become part of the threat landscape".