AfriPulse
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Presidency has launched a blistering counter-attack against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, labeling him a “questionable patriot” after he condemned a controversial military air strike in Yobe State.
The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the political fallout following the weekend raid at Jilli Market, which local sources claim killed over 100 civilians, but the government insists was a precision strike on a terrorist logistics node.
Sunday Dare, a senior aide to the President, issued a stern rebuttal on Monday, accusing Atiku of politicising national security and undermining the morale of the Armed Forces.
The Presidency’s defense hinges on a fundamental reclassification of the strike zone, asserting that the site has long ceased to be a traditional civilian marketplace.
The government’s narrative directly challenges reports from human rights monitors and local witnesses who described the victims as ordinary traders.
According to Dare, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) acted on “targeted, intelligence-led” data regarding insurgent positions of Boko Haram and ISWAP.
“While the location may still be referred to as ‘Jilli Market,’ it has not functioned as a legitimate civilian marketplace in any meaningful sense,” Dare stated.
“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,” he added.
The Presidency argues that the market has been “overtaken and repurposed” as a logistics hub, suggesting that any individuals present were part of the insurgency’s supply network rather than innocent bystanders.
The administration expressed deep disappointment in Atiku’s decision to frame the military action as an attack on civilians.
Dare characterised the former Vice President’s critique as a “reckless” distortion of facts designed to score cheap political points while the military is actively engaged in “taking the fight directly to terrorist enclaves.”
The Presidency further highlighted what it sees as a glaring contradiction in the opposition’s stance on national security.
Dare noted that Atiku consistently criticises the government for failing to curb insecurity, yet condemns the very actions taken to neutralize threats.
“That is not principled opposition, it is opportunism,” Dare remarked, adding that “At some point, clarity must prevail. You cannot dine with the devil and still pretend to stand with the masses.”
This official pushback comes as Amnesty International and local survivors continue to provide accounts of a “massacre” involving women and children.
The Presidency, however, remains firm, calling for “seriousness, not selective outrage” from the nation’s political leaders.
Source: PmNewsNigeria | Read the Full Story…
