Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, expressed anger
over what he described as the routine attacks of travellers and villagers by
Boko Haram along Maiduguri-Damaturu highway.
The governor, who visited Jakana, one of the major towns
along Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, on Monday, faulted the army for Friday’s
abduction of over 30 travellers.
Zulum said it was disappointing that the majority of the
attacks within the last two years, took place between Auno and Jakana, a
distance of about 20 kilometers.
He said this in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Friday abductions: Zulum visits Jakana, furious over routine attacks on Maiduguri-Damaturu highway …Baffled with army’s failure to secure 20 kilometers’.
The statement quoted the governor as saying, “I have had
occasions to defend the Nigerian military in order to boost the morale of
commanders and their troops at the front lines because I know the true picture
of things, however, I am really disappointed that despite all support from both
the federal government and from us in Borno state, our military is failing to
secure an area of 20 kilometers, which is the distance between Auno and Jakana.
“And incidentally, the majority of Boko Haram’s attacks
along this Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road, keeps happening between Auno and
Jakana. So, if the military cannot secure 20 kilometers, how can they keep us
with the hope they will defeat the Boko Haram?”
The governor also berated the army and the state’s rapid response squad for “lack of visibility” along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road.
“With all you (journalists) we drove from Maiduguri to here,
Jakana. We did not see soldiers on the road, we did not see even our own rapid
response squad on this road and they were trained, employed, kitted, and paid
to protect all Nigerians within their areas of operation and these Nigerians
include travelers plying this busy and important road,” the governor noted.
He recalled that this year alone, the insurgents carried out
many attacks along Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road, including the one in February,
in which over 30 persons, including a nursing mother and an infant, were burnt
to death as travelers.
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