A senator representing Borno Central, Baba
Garbai has said that the federal government is lying when it says it has
“degraded” Boko Haram that that the terrorists are restricted to only
Sambisa Forest. He maintained that the deadly Islamist terrorist group
controls 50 percent of the state.
Garbai spoke with journalists on Saturday,
February 6, 2016 when he paid a condolence visit to Dalori, a village
near Maiduguri, capital of Borno State. He said that the military was
lying about the state of the war against Boko Haram and said that Boko
Haram was the ruling government in the areas of Borno that they hold as
their territory.
The senator revealed that the military controls
three local government areas in Borno and Boko Haram controls three
local government areas. The other 21 local government areas are jointly
controlled by the military and the terrorist group which has been named
the most deadly in the world.
Dalori was attacked by the terrorists on
Saturday, January 30 in a horrific rampage that left 101 people dead
including babies who were burnt to death.
The Senator said, “I feel highly demoralised,
devastated in the sense that this is the village we came during the
election and they were going about their normal business. The activities
that were ongoing was like confidence building.
“They actually got the signal a few days before
the attack that the insurgents were likely to attack them, they reported
to the constituted authorities but nothing was done.
“I will like to appeal to the military to
intensify their effort in ensuring they beef up security around the
villages and communities that share borders with Maiduguri metropolis.
It is very important and more so that this place is porous, there could
be attack from any direction.”
He maintained it was a lie that the military had
won the war against Boko Haram or even overpowered them as is being
presented to in the media by President Muhammadu Buhari. “It is a wrong
assumption that most of the local governments in Borno are recaptured
from the Boko Haram. In reality this is not true in the sense that apart
from Maiduguri Metropolis, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar, these are the three
local government that are under the occupation of the Nigerian
government where the military and police are maintaining law and order.
“Mobbar, Abadam and Kala Balge are 100 percent
occupied by the insurgents. There are some local governments that are
partially occupied by the insurgents especially as the local government
secretariats have been liberated but their hither-lands are still
controlled by the insurgents.”
Garbai revealed that Konduga which was said that
have been “liberated” from the terrorists still has many communities in
the local government area under the insurgents. He also said
that “though Gwoza town has been liberated there still remain six wards
in Gwoza local government area still occupied by the insurgents.”
“From my count, only three local government are
fully liberated, 21 local governments partially occupied by insurgents,
that is there is still some level of Boko Haram occupation side by side
the military or any other constituted authority. The local government
fully occupied by Boko Haram are Abadam, Mobbar and Kala Balge.
“We should not live under the illusion that Boko
Haram are decimated or weaken, these are not reality and neither a true
reflection of the reality. The reality is that most of the local
government in Borno is partially occupied by Boko Haram.”
He also condemned moves to force internally
displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their homes. He maintained that
such a move was putting people at risk as they were vulnerable to
attack.
He said: “If the people are moved back to their
homelands you are making them vulnerable to attack. Unless you provide
maximum security and return of law and order in these areas, relocating
these people would be endangering their lives.”
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