The Jilli Market in Borno State has long been recognized as a limited location utilized by terrorists and their allies for logistical support, according to General Christopher Musa, Minister of Defense.
In an interview with Arise News on Tuesday, the minister made this claim on the airstrike that killed more than 200 civilians.
He denied that any of the people in the market were innocent, maintaining that they were all connected to the robbers.
“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, and normally they operate at a very short time and disappear,” Musa stated. Unfortunately for them, we were able to spot them and launch a strike that day. And you know, it’s rather unsettling to hear about individuals trying to alter the story so that they appear to be innocent. There were no innocent people in that neighborhood. And I can vouch for the fact that they would have stated it if any of them were innocent.
The Defense Minister emphasized that despite the security threats, the huge gains from commerce in the area continued to draw individuals, despite the military’s repeated warnings to civilians to avoid the area due to its connections to insurgent activity.
“They were aware of their purpose. I tell you, they were doing “big business.” In that region, you can sell a bag of rice for almost $150,000. There is a lot of money, so there is a lot of attraction. They make a ton of money by purchasing fuel, taking a full tank there, emptying it, and selling it to them. Making money is what draws people in and keeps them going. We have warned them about this, and we have informed them that no one is present in these locations. Why are you at that place? What sort of company? With whom are you conducting business? “Those are the responses they ought to provide,” Gen. Musa stressed.
