APC Senator Faults Buhari, Says Boko Haram Controls Half Of Borno
President Muhammadu Buhari[/caption]
A member of Nigeria’s Senate, Senator Baba Kaka Garbai, representing Borno Central, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari over the degrading of Boko Haram terrorists, stating that the terror group still controls about 50 percent of Borno State.
The angry senator, who spoke to journalists on Saturday evening during a condolence visit to Dalori village where 85 persons were reported killed with many of them burnt in their homes by the terrorists, said the truth about the accomplishment of the military in Borno State was half true as Boko Haram and the Nigerian military are presently administering about the same territories in the state.
He said both the military and Boko Haram have full control of three separate local governments and share control in all the 21 other local governments.
Garbai, who was in Dalori with financial and material assistance to the people of the village, said: “I feel highly demoralized, 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.
Advertisement
“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 said it was a lie and misconception that the insurgents have largely been overpowered by the military, insisting that: “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 governments 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.”
Advertisement
Garbai gave an instance of Konduga which was liberated but still has many communities in the local government area under the insurgents.
He also said “though Gwoza town has been liberated there still remain six wards in Gwoza local government area still occupied by the insurgents.”
He said: “From my count, only three local governments 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.”
He advised that: “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.”
