Governor Zulum laments spate of Boko Haram attacks, says Borno losing ground

Governor Babagana Zulum has lamented the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in Borno State, saying it signals that the state is losing ground to the terrorists.

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Mr Zulum made this known on Tuesday at a Special Expanded Security Meeting (ESM). According to Channels TV, the event was attended by the General Officer Commanding 7 Div, Abubakar Haruna, a major-general, sector commanders, commissioner of police and heads of other security agencies, and traditional rulers, including the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar El-Kanemi, Shehu of Bama, emirs of Biu, Uba, Askira and Gwoza.

Expressing frustrations that the attacks were becoming frequent, Mr Zulum said his administration had been supporting the military’s fight against terrorism.

Recently, Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have intensified attacks against military formations and civilians in some parts of Borno State.

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Last Sunday, the terrorists killed an unspecified number of soldiers, including a captain and a corporal, in an attack on Igze, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area.

Many insurgents were also reported dead during the attack. Ali Ngulde is the Boko Haram commander in Gwoza, operating from his Mandara Mountain hideout.

At least 12 soldiers were killed during an attack on a military formation in Wulgo village in March. That same month, another attack claimed the lives of four soldiers in Wajiroko near Sabon-Gari in Damboa Local Government Area.

In January, the Islamist terrorists killed about 40 farmers in Dumba, a community near Baga.

Mr Zulum described these attacks as a setback for Borno and the North-east generally, saying they call for serious concern.

The governor commended the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, praising his fight against insecurity.

However, Mr Zulum called for more efforts to curtail the resurgence of violence threatening some parts of the Sahelian Borno sharing international borders with three countries — Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

The governor’s words

“As I address this important gathering today, it is unfortunate that the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities almost on a daily basis without confrontation signalled that Borno State is losing ground,” he stated.

“As you are all aware my administration has been very supportive of the military and other security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorists leading to 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 set back in the fragile state of Borno and the North East region.

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“In as much as Borno Government under my leadership commend 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.”

Meanwhile, Mr El-Kanemi, the Shehu of Borno, raised an alarm that three local government areas — Guzamala, Marte, Abbadam and parts of Mobbar — are still under the control of Boko Haram.

However, he hailed the counter-terrorism operations by security agencies in the region.

Mr El-Kanemi also called on the federal government to reconstruct the Biu-Damboa-Maiduguri, Maiduguri-Dikwa-Ngala, Maiduguri-Monguno-Kukawa and Biu-Damaturu federal roads, among others.