Borno state Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, have raised the alarm over the escalating attacks on the state by the Boko Haram/ISWAP, urging the security agencies to take decisive action to curtail the trend.
Over the past months, communities in Borno have suffered relentless assaults with insurgents targeting villages and military outposts, particularly in Sabon Gari, Wajirko and Wulgo, among others.
The plea came as Ohanaeze, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, called on the South-east governors to sit up and tackle the insecurity in the region, or it will be forced to beckon on the federal government to declare a state of emergency across the states.
…The Borno call
Speaking at an expanded security meeting(ESM) in Maiduguri, Governor Zulum urged the federal government to prioritise the security of the North-east, particularly Borno state, which shares borders with three neighbouring countries, namely Chad, Cameroon, and the Republic of Niger—as well as security concerns in the Sahel region.
Zulum said: “As I address this important gathering today, it is unfortunate that the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities almost on daily basis without confrontation signaled that Borno State is losing ground.
“As you are all aware that my administration has been very supportive to the military and other security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorists leading to a relative peace in the last three years, it is disheartening to note the recent attacks and dislodgement of military formations in Wajirko, Sabon Gari in Damboa local government, Wulgo in Gamboru Ngala, Izge in Gwoza local government areas among other related killing of innocent civilians and security agencies calls for serious concern, and it is a setback in the fragile state of Borno and the North East region.
“In as much as Borno Government under my leadership commends the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies for their unwavering support in the fight against Boko Haram, more efforts have to be put in place through equipping and deploying of technological warfare to the military to stem the tide of all renewed attacks bedevilling parts of the sahelian Borno which shares international border with three African countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.”
Continuing, the governor said: “While we appreciate the tremendous support from the federal government and the military, we also want to state that with the current focus in the fight against insecurity shifted from the northeast, all the gains we have recorded so far will be reversed.
“In recent times, Borno State has been witnessing sporadic attacks from Boko Haram insurgents; many military formations were dislodged, such as in Wulgo, Wajiroko and Sabon Gari, among others. It seems we are losing ground.”
“Therefore, we want to appeal to the federal government to ensure that the North-eastern part of the country receives the desired attention. It seems the focus of the Nigerian Army and the Ministry of Defence is not on the North-east.”
He further said the North-east, particularly Borno state which is neighbouring three countries in the troubled Sahel region, deserves more attention from federal government in its resolve to fight terrorism in Nigeria.
Zulum further stressed: “The recent escalation of Boko Haram attacks across the state is a matter of utmost concern. There is an urgent need for aggressive military action and actionable intelligence to counter the insurgency. The recent attacks on Sabongari, Damboa, Wulgo, Baga and Monguno point to the need to up our ante in confronting BH insurgency decisively and swiftly.
“I call on our armed forces to not only mount checkpoints and guard our towns and villages; I also call on our armed forces to take the battle to the enemy. We should not grant breathing space to the terrorists to regroup, rearm and carry out attacks on our territory. By engaging in relentless patrols, picketing and decapitation missions, our troops should defeat and end the insurgency in time so that our recovery plan will progress without let or hindrance.”
Reiterating his commitment to continually support the military and other security agencies in the state, Zulum said: “Borno State Government will continue to work closely with the armed forces to execute our development and peace building programmes. We are deeply conscious of the nexus between development, security and peace. Hence, as we invest in critical infrastructure, we are also opening new avenues for our citizens to engage in agriculture and sustainable livelihood.
“All these will not be possible without resourcing and empowering our security agencies to secure our territory and safeguard citizens’ lives and property. My government will continue to support our defence and security agencies while pushing them to perform better when encountering terrorism, insurgency and criminality.”
…Shehu of Borno
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, lauded the security agencies in the terrorism fight.
He, however, noted that about three local government areas namely Guzamala, Marte, Abbadam and some parts of Mobbar were still under the control of Boko Haram, as most of the affected communities were without civil authority.
The royal father also urged the federal government to reconstruct the dilapidated and deplorable Biu-Damboa-Maiduguri, Maiduguri- Dikwa- Ngala, Maiduguri- Monguno-Kukawa and Biu -Damaturu federal roads among several others.