By Emmanuella Oghenetega
Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, has dismissed claims that civilians were killed in the recent airstrike on Jilli in Borno State, insisting the operation targeted insurgent collaborators.
Speaking on Arise TV after a security meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu, Musa said the strike was based on intelligence and aimed at disrupting terrorist logistics.
“There was no innocent person there,” he said. “Anybody in that location knew what they were doing.” He said the military acted on verified intelligence identifying Jilli as a meeting point for insurgents and their supporters.
“We moved on intelligence. We identified the location. We hit the target,” he said.
Musa described the area as a restricted zone used for terrorist logistics, insisting it was no longer a civilian settlement.
“That place is not a normal market,” he said. “It is where terrorists meet their suppliers.”
He also pointed to economic incentives driving activity in the area.
“A bag of rice can sell for as much as N150,000 there. People go there knowingly,” he said.
The minister said anyone who supports insurgents should be regarded as part of the network.
“He who supports a terrorist is one of them,” he said.
He, however, drew a distinction between forced collaborators and those who willingly engage.
“There are people who are victims themselves, that is different,” he said.
Musa also questioned reports of civilian casualties, demanding evidence.
“Did anybody show pictures? Did anyone confirm those numbers?” he asked.
