By: Manoah Kikekon
GEIDAM, NIGERIA – A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike reportedly missed its intended target, hitting a crowded commercial hub. Early reports and local eyewitnesses suggest a catastrophic loss of life, with fatalities feared to reach as high as 200 people.
The market, a vital economic lifeline situated on the volatile border between Borno and Yobe states, was at its busiest when the bombardment occurred. Traders from surrounding communities, including Geidam and Gubio, had gathered for their routine weekly trade before the strike turned the area into a landscape of debris and grief.
Military sources indicate that the operation was conducted under Operation Hadin Kai, the multi-service campaign aimed at eradicating Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remnants. The jets were reportedly targeting a known insurgent stronghold in the Jilli axis, where terrorists have recently been seen extorting levies from locals.
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Civilians Feared Dead in NAF Airstrike on Yobe Market
However, survivors describe a different reality on the ground. Multiple explosions tore through the heart of the civilian market, leaving behind a trail of charred goods and bodies.
"It was a scene from a nightmare. The bombs landed right where people were buying and selling," said one resident who escaped the blast.
The fallout from the strike has overwhelmed local medical infrastructure. Specialist Hospital Geidam is currently treating dozens of critically injured survivors, while others with more severe trauma have been referred to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, a local councillor and traditional head, confirmed the scale of the tragedy to international media, stating that over 200 lives are feared lost. The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has since activated an emergency response, though recovery efforts are hampered by the remote location and security concerns.
While the Nigerian Air Force initially confirmed "precision bombings" against terrorists in the region, they have remained notably silent on the mounting evidence of civilian casualties. This silence has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups like Amnesty International, which confirmed from survivors that at least 100 deaths have already been verified.
This incident is the latest in a troubling pattern of "accidental" airstrikes in Nigeria’s North-east:
December 2023: A strike in Borno killed scores of fishermen.
2024: A raid in Sokoto claimed 10 civilian lives.
April 2022: Two separate strikes in Niger State killed 14 civilians, including six minors.