Atiku’s Criticism Of Jilli Airstrikes Reckless, Misleading – Presidency

The Presidency has described the criticism by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of recent airstrikes in Jilli as reckless and misleading.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Sunday Dare, in a statement shared on his X handle, faulted Atiku for what he called the politicisation of a military operation.

Dare said the Nigerian Air Force carried out targeted, intelligence-led airstrikes over the weekend on insurgent positions within and around the Jilli axis.

According to him, although the location is still referred to as “Jilli Market,” it has for years been overtaken and repurposed as a logistics and trading hub for terrorist elements, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

He stated that the area no longer functions as a legitimate civilian marketplace, but has evolved into what he described as an operational node within the insurgency’s supply chain, facilitating movement, coordination and sustenance of violent actors.

The presidential aide said Atiku’s claim that the government was targeting civilians ignored this context.

“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 said.

Dare added that such remarks risk undermining public understanding and the morale of security personnel involved in ongoing operations.

He also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in Atiku’s position, noting that while the former vice president has criticised the government over insecurity, he has also condemned what he termed decisive, intelligence-driven action.

“That is not principled opposition—it is opportunism,” he said.

The Presidency maintained that the country’s Armed Forces are committed to ongoing efforts to secure the nation and warned against what it described as selective outrage in matters of national security.