By PERPETUA ONUEGBU

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called for compensation for communities affected by the recent U.S. strike in Sokoto State.

President Donald Trump of U.S on Christmas Day in a Truth Social post announced what he described as a devastating airstrike on terrorists mobilising for assault missions in Nigeria.

The CSOs coalition in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday also advocated an independent investigation into the strike and public disclosure of the findings from the probe.

The group comprises no fewer than 80 organisations including Yiaga Africa, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Accountability Lab Nigeria, ACE-Nigeria, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL).

The group said doing so would deepen public trust and calm communal tensions.

The group said the incident raised serious questions about Nigeria’s sovereignty, constitutional governance, civilian protection and democratic accountability.

The CSOs criticised what it described as the absence of public explanations from the President Bola Tinubu, Service Chiefs and the National Assembly.

They further decried the lack of transparency surrounding the operation, including its legal basis and rules of engagement and safeguards for civilians.

The group said this was amid reports that debris from munitions fell on farmlands in Sokoto State and near a hotel in Kwara. (NAN)

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