The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has warned that any individual found providing support to bandits or terrorist groups, including through trade, will henceforth be treated as an insurgent.
Musa gave the warning during a security council meeting in Kaduna State while addressing the fallout from the recent military airstrike on Jilli market. The operation, carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, has sparked controversy after reports emerged that more than 100 civilians were killed and several others injured.
“A friend of a thief is a thief, I’ve said that severally,” Musa stated. “Anybody that is doing any trading, any support to them, we find you together with them, we’re going to deal with you like the bandits, like the terrorists. So people should know if you don’t want to be harmed, please avoid where those terrorists are and don’t give them any support.”
According to the military, the strike was a precision operation targeting a suspected terrorist enclave, logistics hub, and collaborators in the Jilli area of Gubio Local Government Area, Borno State. The military said the location had been identified as a movement corridor and convergence point for fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and their associates.
The Yobe State Government also confirmed the strike, noting that it formed part of an ongoing military operation against suspected Boko Haram insurgents. It clarified that while Jilli is in Borno, some of the victims were from neighbouring Geidam in Yobe State, having travelled to the weekly market.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, which condemned the operation and alleged that about 100 non-combatants were killed. The Nigerian Air Force has since said it is investigating claims of civilian casualties, stressing that it “treats all reports of possible civilian harm with the utmost seriousness and empathy”.
President Bola Tinubu met with security chiefs as the Presidency defended the Jilli airstrike, insisting it was based on credible intelligence. The Defence Minister has also previously cautioned prominent figures, including Sheikh Gumi, against statements seen as backing terrorism and banditry.
Musa reiterated that nation-building demands integrity, accountability, and commitment, adding that the military would not relent in its offensive against terrorists but urged civilians to steer clear of known insurgent strongholds to avoid collateral harm.
