The Presidency on Monday criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for his comments on last weekend’s airstrike on Jilli Market along the Borno/Yobe border, describing his remarks as misleading, reckless, and harmful to ongoing national security operations.
In a post shared via his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Sunday Dare, expressed disappointment over what he described as Atiku’s attempt to politicise a military action targeted at dismantling terrorist enclaves.
Dare’s reaction followed Atiku’s condemnation of the Nigerian Air Force operation, which the former vice president alleged had resulted in civilian casualties.
Providing clarification, the presidential aide stated that the operation involved “targeted, intelligence-led airstrikes on insurgent positions within and around the Jilli axis,” adding that although the location is still called a market, it no longer operates as a genuine civilian trading centre.
He explained that over time, the area had been taken over and repurposed by terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, serving as a logistics and supply hub for their activities.
“Let us be clear: while the location may still be referred to as ‘Jilli Market,’ it has not functioned as a legitimate civilian marketplace in any meaningful sense.
“By multiple credible accounts, it has evolved into an operational node within the insurgency’s supply chain, facilitating movement, coordination, and sustenance of violent actors”, Dare said.
The presidential spokesman cautioned that portraying the operation as an attack on civilians could mislead the public and weaken the morale of security personnel engaged in counter-insurgency efforts.
“For Atiku Abubakar to ignore this context and frame a legitimate military action as an attack on civilians is not only misleading, it is reckless,” he stated.
Dare also pointed to what he described as inconsistency in Atiku’s stance, noting that while the former vice president often faults the government over insecurity, he criticises firm military responses when they occur.
““What remains difficult to reconcile is the contradiction. He consistently criticizes the government for failing to curb insecurity, yet when decisive, intelligence-driven action is taken, he is quick to condemn it. That is not principled opposition; it is opportunism,” he added.
The presidential aide emphasised the need for a united and serious approach to tackling security challenges, urging political leaders and public figures to refrain from what he termed “selective outrage,” which could undermine national efforts to combat terrorism.
