SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, (THEWILL) – The lingering Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast is beginning to have effect on food supplies in the Gwoza area of Borno State. The scarcity of food items and inadequate supplies which have become more glaring in the last one month has left the people with no choice than to resort to eating wild fruits and roots for survival .
This came as thousands of residents of the six border villages of Attagara, Amuda, Agapalawa, Ashigashiya, Ngoshe and Chikedeh , which recently suffered attacks from Boko Haram, have started moving out of the area enmasse into the surrounding mountains for refuge.
The movement which started on Monday saw the troubled villagers moving into caves of Mandara Mountains in Gwoza council area of the state, even as about 1,300 were said to have relocated to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The people, who expressed frustration and disappointment, having waited in vain for protection from security operatives, said they had no option than to flee to safety.
Speaking on behalf of the people, the Senator representing Southern Borno at the National Assembly, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, had led the call of stakeholders from the areas for military deployment, which the people claimed never came.
Some of the people of the troubled said they were forced to relocate to Maiduguri while others escaped into mountain caves and hilltops to prevent Boko Haram from forceful conscripting their youths into the sect.
The immediate past vice chairman of Gwoza council, Mr. Francis Mbala Nduka, and Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr. Hamman Jumba Ahmadu, who spoke on the present security situation in the area, said the people of Gwoza East affected by Boko Haram insurgency in six border villagers, have fled into Gwoza hills; and took refuge in mountain caves for safety.
“Our people have been gripped with ‘fears and traumas’ for over two weeks; and had no any other place to flee; than to run into caves of Gathahure, Gjigga, Kunde, Hwa’a, Hrazah and Hembe hill settlements. As fleeing hill dwellers cannot come down to the plains for food and water.
“They have resorted to eating wild fruits and roots to survive since the villages had been attacked and the insurgents believed to be lurking around,” Nduka said.
He disclosed that other villagers had fled to Maiduguri for safety and are currently depending on the relief materials coming from the Gwoza Resettlement Committee led by Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir, who is also the State Commissioner for Commerce, Tourism and Investments.
“More than 50 per cent of Gwoza council has been taken over by the insurgents, they have torched houses in six affected border villages and towns, including Ashgashiya, the district headquarters, 10 kilometres from Cameroonian territory recently.
“But my fears and concern about the destroyed villages in this council is that these boys are forcefully recruiting youths into the sect, since they succeeded in taking over Gwoza East last month,” Ahmadu said.
He therefore called for the deployment of more security personnel to the affected areas in order to protect the people from the rampaging Boko Haram gunmen .
