Boko Haram: Most towns no-go-areas, Borno Speaker laments

 Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, has lamented the pronged Boko Haram insurgency and absence of human sctivities in most communities in the northern part of the state due to activities of insurgents.

Lawan, who was reacting to the security concern expressed by a forum of youths from Guzamala Local Government who visited him  in Maiduguri, said the increasing dominance of Boko Haram in most communities in northern part of Borno was worrisome.

“As I speak to you now, there is no person, not a security personnel at Guzamala Local Government, not one for the past two years.”

He said Guzamala, his local government located on the border with Niger Republic, was seized by Boko Haram in 2015 after a bloody attacks with many locals and dozens of military troops killed. Survivors later fled their to internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, some 185 kilometres away.

He disclosed that the military later recaptured the local government from Boko Haram hands. He said efforts to resettle the people back in the homes in 2018 suffered setback as insurgents came back with more vigour. “They burnt down the renovated local government secretariat, lodge and medical facility.”

He appealed to the Chief of Army Staff to redeploy troops to clear Boko Haram and provide safer environment for people to return homes.

He said most of the communities around Lake Chad shores have been deserted and largely unsafe to live. He appealed to the Federal Government to support the state government’s ongoing resettlement exercise of IDPs to their respective homes.

He commended the youths for asking authority to improve the security situation in the northern part of the state.

“It is about your future because you are the leaders of tomorrow. I became very emotional when you werw speaking about the situation.”

Leader of the Guzamala Youths Forum, Babagana  Alkali, in his remark said the youths leadership came to appeal to the speaker to press authority on the deteriorating security situation in Guzamala and other local governments in the area. He said it was high time the military clear the vestige of insurgency and finally return peace to the troubled area.