13/04/2026
The Nigerian Air Force conducted precision strikes on ISWAP targets on Saturday particularly at the long-abandoned repurposed Jilli market in Borno State which the terrorist group had been using as an operational base.
Anyone patronising that market must reckon with the reality that they were either unwittingly enabling ISWAP’s activities or consciously participating in its economic network.
Like most terrorist organisations seeking territorial control, ISWAP does not operate in isolation. It systematically establishes governance, military, and commercial structures to sustain its operations. When the state moves to dismantle such a network, it cannot afford to act selectively—every component of that structure becomes a legitimate target. Governments do not negotiate with terrorists over which elements of their operations should be spared.
Jilli market had, by all credible accounts, evolved into a terrorist stronghold. Intelligence—both historical and recent—indicates that ISWAP used the location for logistics, coordination, and operational planning.
Thankful to voices of Governor Babagana Zulum and General T.Y. Buratai, who have provided critical context to this conversation, and helped steer public discourse away from the erroneous conclusion that civilians were the intended targets.
Let’s be guided!
— Dahiru Bashir Hassan
