SAN FRANCISCO, February 07, (THEWILL) – Baba Kaka Garbai, the senator representing Borno Central in the upper chamber of the National Assembly has insisted that Borno State is equally shared between the terrorist sect, Boko Haram and the Nigerian military.
Garbai spoke to journalists during a condolence visit to Dalori village, where 65 persons were killed last week by the insurgents said, insisting that truth must be told that both Boko Haram and the Nigerian nation have full control of three separate local governments in troubled Borno State and have the same level of dominance in 21 other local governments.
“It is a wrong assumption that most of the local governments in Borno are recaptured from the Boko Haram,” he said.
“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 gave an instance of Konduga which was liberated but still has many communities in the local government area under the insurgents. “Although Gwoza town has been liberated there still remain six wards in Gwoza local government area still occupied by the insurgents.”
On the proposed reconstruction, rehabilitation and relocation in the troubled areas, Garbai said it was inadvisable at least for now.
“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.”
However the Senate Leader, Mohammed Ndume, representing Borno South in the Senate believed that much has been achieved by the military in retrieving captured Borno communities from the insurgents.
He also said it was not out of place to begin the reconstruction, rehabilitation and relocation of the destroyed communities.
“I still have confidence in our military, I still want to believe that our military are on top of the situation. What is happening these days is the issue of intermittent suicide bombing and desperate attacks by the insurgents because their supply routes have been cut off and they attack in other to get supplies. They have been carting away foodstuffs of attacked communities,” he said on Sunday.
The Senate Leader while arguing that the insurgency is winding out, said the recent setbacks are not limited to Nigeria alone, insisting that United States and recently France have come under isolated terrorist attacks.
Story by David Oputah
