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The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has warned that anyone giving support or participating in trade with bandits or terrorist groups will be treated as an insurgent.
Musa issued the warning during a security council meeting on Monday, April 13, in Kaduna State, while responding to the recent military airstrike in Jilli market. The airstrike left more than 100 civilians dead and several others injured.
“A friend of a thief is a thief, I’ve said that severally. Anybody that is doing any trading, any support to them, we find you together with them, we’re going to deal with you like the bandits, like the terrorists. So people should know if you don’t want to be harmed, please avoid where those terrorists are and don’t give them any support,” Musa said.
According to the Nigerian Military, the operation was a strike targeted at a suspected terrorist enclave, logistics hub, and collaborators in the Jilli area of Gubio Local Government Area. They identified the locations as a passage and meeting point for fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The Yobe State Government also added that the strike was part of an ongoing military operation targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the area. However, Amnesty International condemned the operation, alleging that about 100 non-combatants were killed during the bombing.
