Boko Haram control over 50% of Borno State

The Senator representing Borno Central, Baba Kaka
Garbai has said that the story that the insurgents
have been degraded is nothing but a lie as the terror
group still hold on strong to about 50 percent of
troubled Borno State.
Garbai who spoke to

journalists on Saturday evening
during a condolence visit to Dalori village where 65
persons were reported killed last week by the
insurgents said, the truth about the accomplishment
of the military in Borno State was never truly
spoken as the Boko Haram and the Nigerian nation
are presently administering about the same territories
in the state.
AFP PHOTO
He said both the military and Boko Haram have full
control of three separate local governments in
troubled Borno State 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.
“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 be 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 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.
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
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.’
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.”
On the proposed reconstruction, rehabilitation and
relocation in the troubled areas, Garbai said it was
inadvisable at least for now.
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.”
The Senate Leader, Mohammed Ndume, representing
Borno South in the Senate however believed that
much had 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.
He told journalists in Maiduguri on Sunday that: “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 that the reconstruction and relocation should
still continue in spite of recent attacks. He however
admitted that if not immediately, at least the
preparation should not be set aside.
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.
He noted that the people of Borno displaced by
insurgency are willing to go back to their homelands.
He particularly mentioned that the people of Gwoza,
his homelands are ready to return home, insisting
that arrangements have already been concluded for
this.