Airstrike in Borno-Yobe Border Kills Over 50 Traders

On Saturday, a Nigerian Air Force airstrike mistakenly targeted a weekly market in Gubio Local Government Area, Borno State, resulting in the deaths of no fewer than 56 people, primarily traders. The market, which attracts a crowd of buyers and sellers from surrounding communities, was reportedly visited by suspected Boko Haram insurgents who were collecting levies and gathering supplies at the time of the strike.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that the airstrike occurred during busy afternoon trading hours. Malam Lawan Zanna, a local councillor representing Fichimaram Ward, verified the incident and reported that several injured victims were taken to a specialist hospital in Geidam, with 20 individuals referred to a teaching hospital in Damaturu for further treatment.

Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru, a special adviser to the Yobe State governor on security matters, confirmed the attack's impact on the area, although no official statement from the Nigerian Air Force regarding the incident was available at the time of the report.