Premium News
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has expressed deep concern over renewed Boko Haram attacks in Kirawa town, Gwoza Local Government Area, following the withdrawal of Cameroonian troops that had been stationed there.
Zulum, who on Friday mobilised civilian JTF fighters and Nigerian troops to the area, said he had earlier warned the Nigerian military about the dangers of leaving the community without security presence.
“I duly notified the Nigerian military of the dangers of leaving this town without security. This is a border community. Wilgo, Kirawa, Baga, Damasak, Malamfatori, among others are border communities that have to be protected because of their strategic importance,” the governor was quoted by DailyTrust.
According to him, despite the warning, “unfortunately, my request did receive the deserved attention, and the insurgents came on Wednesday and vandalised everything we worked so hard to rebuild.”
The governor lamented the destruction of property and loss of lives in the attack. “Two lives were lost but 50 houses and our heavy duty equipment, and eight vehicles were burnt down. We thanked God the casualties were not much,” he stated.
Zulum disclosed that the Nigerian Army has now agreed to redeploy soldiers to the town and that the state government would support local defence groups with more logistics.
“The second measure we have undertaken is in the area of providing support to our gallant civilian JTF and vigilante. I listened to them and we will provide them with the needed equipment to safeguard the town,” he said.
The governor further appealed to the federal government to urgently release funds to strengthen security operations in the state.
“We are pleading with the federal government, and the Chief of Defence Staff to release funds and procure equipment so that the military operations should begin in annex since the rainy season is about to be over,” Zulum said.
He also urged the military to show greater dedication in combating insurgency. “I’m also pleading with the Nigerian military to be more committed, because what matters is not the number of soldiers we need to keep here but how committed they are to fight back the terrorists during military operations,” he added.
Zulum warned that sporadic or inconsistent military operations were contributing to the resurgence of attacks. “Above all, we need Military operations, for sometimes, military operations were not conducted in Borno State, and that has been instrumental to what we have been witnessing now. The renewed insurgence attacks,” he said.
He reassured residents not to panic but to remain resilient. “You need not to panic. I see no reason why very few members of Boko Haram will come to defeat the entire community without resistance,” he said.
On Friday, SaharaReporters reported that more than 5,000 people fled Nigeria’s northeast into neighbouring Cameroon after Boko Haram militants seized the border town of Kirawa in Borno state, residents and community leaders stated.
The insurgents, operating in Borno state, the epicentre of a 16-year conflict driven by Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have intensified their attacks this year against civilians and security forces.
The assault late Thursday forced the district head, Abdulrahman Abubakar, to abandon his palace, which was burned along with a military barracks and dozens of homes. “I was left with no option but to flee to Cameroon,” Abubakar told Reuters by phone. “Residents boarded trucks to seek refuge across the border, while others ran to Maiduguri,” the state capital.
Boko Haram has since claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing a video showing fighters torching the barracks while chanting “victory belongs to God” as flames lit the night sky.
Residents confirmed that Kirawa was now deserted. “Boko Haram is in control,” said Dauda Hassan, who escaped to Pulka, a neighbouring town where troops are stationed.
Thursday’s raid came less than two weeks after Boko Haram fighters stormed Banki, another border town, on September 19, overrunning a military barracks, forcing soldiers to flee, and seizing weapons.
