The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Sunday Dare, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of politicising the recent military airstrike on Jilli Market in Borno State, describing his comments as misleading and unpatriotic.
Dare made the allegation in a post on his X handle, @sundaydareSD, where he wrote an article titled “ATIKU: QUESTIONABLE PATRIOT”, in which he criticised the opposition leader’s reaction to the incident.
He said Atiku’s position on the airstrike was “both disappointing and telling”, arguing that it amounted to politicising a legitimate military operation targeting terrorist elements.
“At a time when our Armed Forces are taking the fight directly to terrorist enclaves, it is both disappointing and telling to see Atiku Abubakar politicise the recent airstrikes at Jilli Market by alleging that the government is targeting civilians,” he said.
Dare explained that the Nigerian Air Force conducted what he described as intelligence-led airstrikes on insurgent positions around the Jilli axis, which he claimed had long been used by Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters as a logistics and coordination hub.
He also argued that although the area is still referred to as Jilli Market, it no longer functions as a legitimate civilian marketplace, insisting it had been repurposed by terrorist groups.
“Let it 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,” he said.
According to him, the area had evolved into an operational base within the insurgency’s supply chain, facilitating movement, coordination, and support for violent groups.
Dare warned that framing the military action as an attack on civilians risked distorting public understanding and undermining the morale of security personnel.
He also accused Atiku of inconsistency, saying the former vice president often criticises government efforts on insecurity but condemns decisive military action when it is taken.
“What remains difficult to reconcile is the contradiction.
”He consistently criticises the government for failing to curb insecurity, yet when decisive, intelligence-driven action is taken, he is quick to condemn it,” Dare said.
“That is not principled opposition—it is opportunism.”
He added that Nigerians deserved “seriousness, not selective outrage,” and said clarity was needed in public discourse on security matters.
In a related development, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum confirmed that Jilli Market in Gubio Local Government Area had been shut down about five years ago, describing it as a hub used by insurgents and their logistics networks.
Zulum said he had been briefed on the airstrike and noted that the state government works closely with the military in coordinating security operations and resettlement of communities affected by insurgency.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting civilians and supporting ongoing efforts to restore peace in the region, while urging residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, also defended the operation, describing it as part of a “new strategy” in the fight against terrorism.
He warned that anyone found supporting insurgents would be treated as part of the terrorist network, stating: “A friend of a thief is a thief.
”Anybody who is doing any trading or providing any support to them, we will find you together and we will deal with you like bandits, like terrorists.”
