Tensions have intensified between the Presidency and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, following a military air operation in Yobe State that has drawn widespread criticism and competing claims over civilian casualties.
The controversy centres on a weekend strike at Jilli area, where reports from residents and rights groups allege that more than 100 people were killed. While these accounts have sparked public concern, the Federal Government maintains that the operation was part of a targeted offensive against terrorist elements operating in the region.
Responding to Atiku’s condemnation of the incident, the Presidency issued a sharp rebuttal on Monday through presidential aide, Sunday Dare, accusing the former Vice President of misrepresenting the situation and politicising a sensitive security matter.
Dare said the remarks risked undermining the Armed Forces at a time when they are engaged in ongoing counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP.
He explained that intelligence assessments indicated the area was being used for activities linked to insurgent logistics rather than functioning solely as a civilian marketplace, arguing that the strike was based on operational intelligence.
According to him, the military’s action was aimed at disrupting networks that support armed groups, not ordinary residents.
The Presidency also criticised what it described as attempts to frame complex security operations in overly simplistic terms, insisting that such narratives ignore the realities faced by troops on the ground.
Dare further cautioned against public commentary that could, in his words, distort military operations or unintentionally amplify extremist propaganda.
He maintained that criticism of government security strategy should be balanced and informed, especially when operations are still under review.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations and local sources continue to dispute the government’s account, maintaining that civilians were heavily affected in the strike and calling for independent scrutiny of the incident.
