The Nigerian government on Tuesday said it has ordered an investigation into a weekend air strike on a crowded market that killed at least 56 people, many of them civilians.

"The Federal Government has ordered a full and independent investigation into the incident," the country's information minister, Mohammed Idris, said in a statement.

"This will review intelligence, targeting, and execution, and we will address any gaps and ensure accountability where needed."

The air force has already announced its own review into the incident.

The Nigerian military had said it targeted a "logistics hub" located "near the abandoned village of Jilli", on the Borno-Yobe state border, targeting terrorists.