According to General Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defense, the Jilli Market in Borno State has long been recognized as a restricted area where rebels and their allies obtain logistical support.
When discussing the airstrike that killed more than 200 civilians, the minister made this statement on Tuesday in an interview with Arise News.
He insisted that everyone at the market was connected to the bandits, rejecting allegations that some of them were innocent.
“That area had been banned for a very long time because the den where they used to meet regularly with people who supply them with food, fuel, fertilizer for IEDs, and all these issues, normally they operate at a very short time and disappear,” Musa stated. Regretfully, we were able to see them that day and launch a strike. And you know, it’s rather unsettling to hear about individuals trying to alter the story so they appear to be innocent. No one in that neighborhood was innocent. And I can promise you that if any of them were innocent, they would have admitted it.
The Defense Minister emphasized that despite the security threats, the huge gains from selling in the area continued to draw individuals, despite the military’s repeated warnings for civilians to avoid the area due to its connections to insurgent activity.
“They had a purpose for being there. They were doing “big business,” I assure you. In that area, a bag of rice can be sold for around 150,000. The attraction is strong since the money is substantial. Fuel is purchased, a full tank is taken there, emptied, and sold to them, and they profit handsomely. They are therefore drawn to the opportunity to generate revenue, which is what sustains them. We have warned them of this, and we have informed them that no one is present in these locations. Why are you there? Which type of company? You are doing business with whom? Gen. Musa stressed, “Those are the responses they ought to provide.
