The immediate past Senate President Ahmad Lawan yesterday demanded a transparent and independent probe into the killing of over 100 civilians in Jilli Futchimiram, Yobe State, by military airstrikes targeting terrorists on Saturday.

In a statement, the Senate Committee on Defence chairman expressed sorrow over the incident while acknowledging the sacrifices of the armed forces in the fight against insurgency.

Lawan said: “I’m deeply saddened and disturbed by reports emanating from Jilli Futchimiram in the Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State, where a military airstrike target ing suspected Boko Haram insurgents has reportedly led to catastrophic loss of civilian lives.”

According to him, eyewitness accounts indicated the involvement of multiple aircraft in the strikes. While stressing the complexities of counterinsurgency operations, Lawan said the scale of the tragedy necessitated an independent inquiry.

The legislator said: “While I fully appreciate the enormous sacrifices of our armed forces in the ongoing fight against insurgency, and the difficulty of distinguishing combatants from civilians in complex environments, the reported scale of this tragedy demands that we pause and ask hard questions.”