The military, in conjunction with hunters and local vigilantes has retaken Mubi from the Boko Haram sect.The routing of the insurgents comes just days after local hunters led an onslaught, which resulted in the killing of several members of the Islamic fundamentalist sect in Maiha, an outskirt of Mubi.
Boko Haram had seized Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State in October and renamed it Madinatul Islam – City of Islam.
It was the biggest town under the group’s control.
Residents there said militants imposed Islamic Sharia law and carried out executions and amputations.
The state governor, James Bala Ngilari said government forces had recaptured the town from the sect.
Ngilari first dropped hint of the recapture of the town by local vigilante led by the Sarki Bakan Gombi, which in Hausa is an euphemism for head of local hunters while inspecting relief materials meant for those displaced at the state cooperative stores located in Yola the state capital.
Ngilari’s disclosure was made in passing but the government spokesman Phineas Elisha however corroborated the initial comment about the developments in Mubi and urged citizens of the state not to give in to fear but stand to defend their territories.
Elisha said: “Information reaching his Excellency, Governor Bala Ngillari indicates that the local hunters and men of the Joint Task Force have successfully chased out the insurgents out of Mubi and Maiha.
“The insurgents have now been forced to flee Mubi and are now heading towards Uba Askira. Some of them His Excellency was made to understand fled through the Mandara Mountains to escape being killed.”
He however said that for the victory to last, those who have fled their communities must return and join hands with the military to defend their territories.
A local vigilante with first hand knowledge of the attacks disclosed that over 200 of the insurgents were killed while several others were arrested.
He said the insurgents put up a fierce fight but the mysterious powers wielded by the hunters ensured that they prevailed.
There were also strong indications that the Abubakar Shekau impostor was among those captured in the fight to retake Mubi, although, this could not be confirmed.
The joyous mood of Yola residents over the situation in Mubi was replaced by panic when news filtered in that Shekau was captured and that the sect were heading towards the state capital to free their leader believed to have been brought by the military authorities there.
Also yesterday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Kenneth Minimah assured Nigerians that the military will in no time retake the territories currently being held by the insurgents.
Minimah spoke after a meeting with the Senate Committee on Defence over the security situation in the north east.
“We had a setback in Basa that resulted in the loss of territories up till Mubi and painful though, but we are working very hard to retake those territories and very soon we will retake those territories and indeed other territories that the insurgents have taken.
“I want to continue to rekindle the confidence of Nigerians and particularly the ordinary Nigerian, who have suffered the pains of this insurgency. The Nigerian army will continue to do its beat and strive to win this war and reclaim the lost territories,” Minimah said.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator George Sekibo, had earlier berated the Federal Government for its inability to end the insurgency, noting that Nigerians are getting impatient with the prolong war.
He said: “Nigerians are getting impatient and irritated not only with the military but also with the government and those who represent them at various levels.
“I believe that we are trying our best but is our best the best we can offer? What is happening is becoming increasingly difficult to explain to Nigerians. We want to be told what is happening. The insurgents are having a field day.
“We are aware that they (government) are releasing your funds to you because you have not complained. We also approved $1bn for the President to purchase arms and ammunition to fight Boko Haram. We are aware that your budget is being released to you. If you have difficulties you should tell us.
“The spate of insurgency, the way and manner the insurgents are taking areas, is getting worrisome. We want to know what is happening. We also want to know the issue of the reported ceasefire. We want to know whether there was actually any ceasefire.
“We want to know whether there was a dialogue, the stage of the dialogue if any because few days after the announcement of the ceasefire, the insurgents struck and have continued to strike.”
Meanwhile, an attempted attack on the Maryam Babangida Girls Science College, Minna, Niger State, by two men was foiled yesterday by a staff of the school.
This came barely a day after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora.
It was learnt that the staff, a female teacher, saw two men smoking Indian hemp while she was rushing through a footpath to the school.
Our correspondent gathered that the two men had already changed into the uniform of the school and were about to wear the Hijab when the teacher ran into them.
It was gathered that the woman took to her heels and ran to the school, where the students were already gathering at the assembly and raised the alarm.
This caused pandemonium as students and staff scampered into different directions in a bid to escape being killed.
Our correspondent gathered that the school authority alerted the police, military, and the SSS, who, who mobilised to the scene to calm the students.
Speaking with newsmen in her office, the Principal of the School, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, said the information given by one of the teachers saved the school from being attacked.
She explained that when the teacher informed the school of the plan to attack the assembly, it created a lot of panic among the students and teachers.
Also, speaking the female staff, Mrs. Bezat Doma, stated that she followed the footpath to enable her get to school early and meet up with her 8:00am lesson, only to be accosted by two unknown men that asked her to return home, if she wants to be safe.
“I was really scared, when I saw them almost dressed in the school uniform. They have already worn the trouser, shirt and about to put on the Hijab, when I sighted them and it was because of the smell of Indian hemp that made me looked around.
“And one just walked to me and said, ‘go home, there is no school today. Go if you love your life’, and I just took off my shoes and ran back. But, instead of going home, I went to inform our principal on the assembly ground.”
But, the state Police Public Relation Officer, ASP, Ibrahim Abiodun Gambari said the men in question were lunatics, whose presence early that morning created fears in the school.
According to him, they were able to gain entrance into the school due to the porous nature of security, but assured that adequate security will be given to schools by the police as well as security tips to help them in case of any eventuality.
He then urged the people of the state to go about their normal duties without fear and measures have been taken to provide security for them.
The state governor, Dr. Babanguda Aliyu also yesterday lamented the new trend of using female suicide bombers, saying it is a challenging dimension in the fight against terror.
Aliyu said that not only would such trend pose a major challenge but was capable of exposing women in the North to unnecessary discrimination.
The governor expressed confidence on the preparedness of security agencies operating in the state to provide adequate security for the people, noting that strategies have been put in place to further strengthen existing security in the state.
“There is need for vigilance especially in ‘soft’ target areas like schools and places of worship. The job of policing therefore should not be left in the hands of security operatives; it is indeed everybody’s business,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment