Islamic cleric, Sheikh Gumi, has called for a Senate probe into recent military airstrikes, insisting that condolences are not enough following reported civilian casualties.
Gumi, in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, questioned the conduct of military operations and demanded accountability. “Who are the pilots behind these bomb releases on innocent locals?” he asked, citing incidents in Tudun Biri, Nasarawa, Sokoto and other locations.
Several past incidents of accidental military airstrikes, including the December 2023 Tudun Biri bombing in Kaduna State, also resulted in significant civilian casualties.
“Terror cannot be fought with another terror. There should be an immediate Senate hearing on these so-called ‘mistakes’ on bombing villages, markets and civilian targets. We need answers, not condolences,” he said.
Gumi made the comments following an airstrike that reportedly struck a weekly market at Jilli village, along the border of Borno State and Yobe State on Saturday evening.
However, Babagana Zulum said the Jilli market in Gubio Local Government Area, where the strike was reported, had been closed for the past five years.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, Zulum described the area as a notorious hub allegedly used by insurgents and their logistics suppliers.
No fewer than 30 people were feared killed in the incident, which occurred at about 4:00 p.m. while trading activities were ongoing. A councillor in the area, Lawan Zannah, confirmed the casualty figure, saying more than 20 others were hospitalised.
Eyewitnesses said multiple fighter jets were involved in the operation, with one witness claiming dozens of bodies were recovered as panic spread among traders and residents.
Sources said the strike may have targeted suspected Boko Haram insurgents allegedly gathered in the area, but the bombs reportedly hit the crowded market instead.
The Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters, Abdulsalam Dahiru, confirmed the incident but clarified that Jilli village falls within Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.
Gumi, who is known for engaging bandits in the North-West and advocating dialogue as a strategy to end violence, maintained that repeated airstrike incidents on civilian locations must be thoroughly investigated.
