A wave of attacks over the last few months in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe has left military and state officials searching for answers and residents in fear of a resurgence of deadly terror attacks that have turned their lives upside down.
Just in the last three days, seven soldiers were reportedly killed in Borno when they stepped on a land mine and in Yobe, a bomb explosion at a livestock market left at least one person dead and many others injured.
The bomb attack on Friday was the second in both states within the space of one month, while incidents involving land mines have been on the increase.
Two bomb blasts in late June killed 18 people and injured 48 others in Gworza, Borno State. Officials said two suicide bombers were responsible.
Recent media reports also indicate that highways in Gamboru Ngala, Kukawa and Gajibi have become dangerous for military personnel and civilians.
Two months ago, 31 fishermen were killed by the Boko Haram terrorist group in Tunbun Rogo, a village in Kukawa local government.
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This is just as the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has described the ECOWAS Protocol on the free movement of people across borders as a security challenge.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, was, however, unwilling to speak on the recent spate of attacks in the northeast when LEADERSHIP Sunday reached out to him.
General Buba had promised to revert to the reporter when contacted but failed to do so despite reminders.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State last month described the Gwoza suicide bomb attacks as the handiwork of the enemies of his resettlement programme and regretted that the attacks were coming when the Boko Haram insurgency was exiting the state.
The Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Idris Timta, on his part, mobilised the youths against the Boko Haram terrorists and vowed that they would fish out anyone collaborating with the terrorists.
“We will handle our problem by ourselves. We are more vigilant now than ever. We have urged our people to monitor the activities of strangers in their midst. We have explored many ways to defend ourselves from the terrorists,” he said.
The bomb explosion occurred in the Buni Yadi community of Gujba Local Government Area, Yobe State. Residents are making efforts to move on with their lives.
Yobe State Governor Mai Malama Buni and the security personnel have urged residents to stay calm and always be security conscious.
A resident, Lawan Buba, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that no life was lost due to the blast. However, a young girl who sustained Minor injuries was admitted to the General Hospital Damaturu.
Buni Yadi, in the Gujba area of Yobe state, is one of several places where people displaced by the long-running insurgency have been encouraged to return.
Also, speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday in the state capital, a trader, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, appealed to the Federal Government to deploy more troops to the area to enhance security.
The community leader and other prominent citizens in the area appealed in separate interviews with the journalist in Damaturu on Saturday.
Other residents in Gulani, Gujba, Gaidam and Yunusari Local Government Areas told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the suspected Boko Haram group has grown to become a threat to the farmers with consistent violent attacks on security forces, civilians, and farmers in some parts of the state.
A resident of Buni Gari in Gujba local government who doesn’t want his name printed called on the federal and state governments to provide more security personnel to protect them from harvesting this year.
He said, “As I am speaking to you, farmers cannot go to their farms. Four kilometres away from the town is the Boko Haram zone. We are appealing to the state government to come to our rescue. We are suffering. No security personnel is ready to protect us,” said a resident.
Illegal Border Routes Fueling Insecurity In Nigeria – Defence Chief
The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has attributed illegal border routes to being one of the significant factors fueling insecurity in Nigeria.
This is even as he disclosed that Nigeria has 364 approved international border points and 1,497 other illegal migration points into the country, especially in the North.
Speaking on ”Assessing the Present Security Situation in Northern Nigeria” at the dialogue lecture series organised by the Institute for Development Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, at the weekend, General Musa noted that ECOWAS protocols, among other complexities, posed severe challenges to safeguarding Nigerian borders.
He reiterated that “Nigeria has 364 approved international border points and 1,497 other illegal migration points into the country. Further, Nigeria is a signatory to the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of persons, goods and services within the West African sub-region”.
He said the challenge has manifested in increased insurgency, terrorism and religious extremism, as well as the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, human and drug trafficking, amongst others in the country.”
He further said that the impact of such complexities on Nigeria’s national security, particularly in the northern parts of the country, has brought to the fore the need to improve our border control measures and overall architecture to provide a more effective system that would enhance the check of illegal entry through our borders.
The defence chief averred that we must continue collaborating with political leaders and relevant stakeholders to implement essential protocols and action plans to strengthen our border management systems and improve national security.
“To ensure adequate security, all citizens must be involved in security. Until this is internalised, the security agencies, which are significantly less than one per cent of the population, will struggle to fill the massive gaps in the security architecture.”
A veteran, Major General James Nyam (Rtd), said Nigeria, as a nation, is failing to address causative factors of insecurity.
He said military actions alone cannot address insecurity in the country, but good governance considers the factors that fuel insecurity.
He said, “I honestly do not know what to say. I have not studied the trend. But my general summation is that Nigeria as a Country is still failing to address the causative factors of insecurity in the land. These causative factors revolve around governance issues of political exclusion, poverty, lack of education, unemployment, and lack of community/citizen engagement, among others.
He continued, “Military (kinetic) actions address only the symptoms and also create the conditions for other non-kinetic processes to take place. As long as these non-kinetic measures are not systematically prioritised and implemented over kinetic measures, insecurity of diverse extents will continue to plague the world.
Other Northeast States Take Precautions
Amid growing concerns over the resurgence of terrorist attacks in Borno State, Brigadier-General Baba Mohammed (rtd) has called on security agencies to intensify and strengthen intelligence gathering to completely defeat the insurgency in the northeast.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday, Brigadier-General Mohammed said the government has defeated insurgents, describing the recent bombings in Borno as an attempt by the terror group to show might and relevance which, they cannot inflict threats.
“Because security operatives largely defeated the terrorists is not a rubber stamp that strategic efforts to be softened. No,” he insisted.
He added, that “intelligence gathering remains the cornerstone in the fight and it should be strengthened among all security agencies to end the problem.
“Residents of the affected communities are supposed to show a high sense of patriotism by giving intelligent tips to the security personnel. With this, the security will achieve more success without necessarily using force.
“Security is everybody’s business. The government must also support the operations in all possible means to motivate troops and restore confidence in the minds of the citizens.”
Brigadier-General Mohammed said the Federal Government must work closely with neighbouring countries, adding that the diplomatic conflicts arising following the military takeover in the Niger Republic would not help security-wise in Nigeria.
“Look at it, Because of the rift between Niger and France which made the French government shut down its military base in the country, it reduced intelligence gathering and sharing,” he added.
He explained that all neighbouring countries to Nigeria are critical stakeholders in the effort to end Boko Haram because it will strengthen the security of lives and property of their citizens, especially at the border with Nigeria.
Adamawa On Top Of Security Situation-CPS
Adamawa state government says it is on top of security situation as moves to avert suicide bomb blasts and planned national protest have been put in place.
Mr Humwashi Wunosikou, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri said security has been beefed up as personnel have been placed on red alert across the 21 LGAs manning some strategic areas in the state.
Wunosikou stated that detailed security arrangements would not be made public said state commanders of all the security agencies have been conducting series of security meeting in that regard.
He acknowledged that breach of securityhave gone down in the state appreciated security for their support
“Even before Borno incident, our security in the state are on top of security situation in the state.
“There is no cause for alarm” he stated.