The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and Transparency International in Nigeria have condemned the Nigerian Air Force airstrike that struck a civilian market along the Borno-Yobe border on Saturday, describing the incident as deeply disturbing and calling for an urgent, transparent and independent investigation into how a military operation allegedly targeting insurgents ended up killing and maiming dozens of traders and civilians going about their daily business.
In a statement signed on Sunday by the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the organisation extended its condolences to the families of the victims and said the incident was not an isolated occurrence but rather a manifestation of systemic and recurring weaknesses in how Nigeria's military plans and executes counterterrorism operations in the North-East.
Musa said CISLAC found it particularly troubling that a pattern had emerged across similar incidents pointing to deep structural gaps in military targeting and intelligence processes, including what he described as a persistent reliance on single-source or outdated intelligence, the absence of precision targeting capacity sufficient to distinguish between combatants and civilians in complex terrain, and the application of dangerously low verification thresholds driven by intense institutional pressure on military units to neutralise threats quickly and deliver results. He warned that counterterrorism operations that repeatedly resulted in civilian casualties were not only morally reprehensible but operationally counterproductive and ultimately unsustainable.
Calling for immediate accountability, CISLAC demanded the establishment of a credible civilian-led investigative panel comprising the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations and international observers where necessary. The organisation insisted that the findings of any such investigation must be made public in full, that those found culpable of errors or negligence must face consequences, and that adequate compensation and support be provided without delay to victims and the families of those killed.
Beyond the immediate crisis, CISLAC laid out a broad set of reforms it said the Federal Government and the Nigerian military must urgently adopt to prevent a recurrence of civilian harm on this scale. The organisation called for the formal institutionalisation of a Civilian Protection Framework across all armed forces, including the introduction of mandatory civilian risk assessments before any airstrike is authorised, the formulation of comprehensive no-strike lists covering markets, hospitals, religious sites and other civilian-dense locations, and the adoption of real-time abort protocols that would empower pilots and commanders to stand down an operation the moment civilian presence is detected in a target area.
On the question of intelligence and technology, CISLAC urged the adoption of what it described as global best practices in counterterrorism operations, calling specifically for the introduction of multi-layered intelligence verification systems, persistent aerial surveillance before any engagement is initiated, precision-guided munitions that reduce the risk of collateral damage, and post-strike civilian harm assessments as a mandatory and routine component of every military operation. It also called for comprehensive hardware and communication upgrades, including the integration of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones with real-time video feeds, and secured communication systems that could link pilots directly to ground intelligence units at the moment of engagement.
Musa also called on the National Assembly to assert its oversight role more forcefully, demanding that the legislature enforce regular hearings on military operations and make the mandatory reporting of all civilian casualty incidents a non-negotiable requirement. "CISLAC reiterates that civilian protection is not optional but a legal and moral obligation in every counter-terrorism operational planning and process," he said, urging the Federal Government to treat the Jilli market tragedy as a wake-up call for wholesale reform of the frameworks governing how the military conducts and accounts for its operations in the North-East and across the country.
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