Sheikh Gumi demands Senate probe into Borno airstrike

By Damilare Adeleye

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Gumi, has called for a Senate probe into recent military air strikes in Borno State, insisting that condolences are insufficient following reported civilian casualties.

Reports indicate that at least 30 people were killed in a military action that occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. at a weekly market in Jilli village, located along the border of Borno and Yobe states on Saturday evening. A local councillor, Lawan Zannah, confirmed the casualty figure, noting that more than 20 others have been hospitalized.

Eyewitnesses disclosed that multiple fighter jets were involved in the operation. One witness claimed dozens of bodies were recovered as panic spread among traders and residents in what is usually a busy trading center.

Reacting via a statement on his Facebook page on Sunday, Gumi questioned the conduct of military operations and demanded immediate accountability. “Who are the pilots behind these bomb releases on innocent locals?” he asked, citing previous incidents in Tudun Biri, Nasarawa, and Sokoto.

The cleric referenced past accidental military airstrikes, including the December 2023 Tudun Biri bombing in Kaduna State, which resulted in significant civilian loss. “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,” Gumi stated.

However, Governor Babagana Zulum has countered the narrative regarding the location's status, stating that the Jilli market in Gubio Local Government Area had been officially 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 rather than a functional public market.