At least 50 killed as Airstrike hits Border Market in Yobe-Borno border...

Dozens of people were feared killed after a military airstrike struck a weekly market in Jilli village along the border of Borno and Yobe states on Saturday, residents and local officials said.

The strike hit the busy market in the late afternoon as traders and residents gathered, triggering panic and heavy casualties, witnesses said.

A local councillor, Lawan Zannah, told the Punch Newspaper that more than 30 people had been confirmed dead and over 20 others were hospitalised.

Eyewitnesses, however, reported higher figures, with one resident saying he counted more than 50 bodies, while others said the toll could rise as more victims were recovered.

The market, located between Gubio and Geidam areas, typically draws traders from surrounding communities, including Benisheikh and Gurokayeya.

Residents said multiple fighter jets were involved in the operation, which they believed targeted suspected Boko Haram insurgents but instead struck civilians at the crowded trading centre.

Amnesty International said more than 100 people may have been killed and at least 35 seriously injured, citing local sources.

The Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters, retired Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru, confirmed the incident but said the village falls within Borno State.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over civilian safety and targeting procedures in military operations against insurgents in the country’s northeast.