Boko Haram members at a gathering: Senator says they are occupying over 40 communities in Borno

The Senator representing Niger East in the National Assembly, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, has raised alarm that Boko Haram insurgents are now effectively in control of about 42 communities in Niger State.

The Senator made the revelation less than 24 hours after Governor Sani Bello raised alarm that insurgent group, Boko Haram has taken over many communities in the state.

Speaking while moving a motion on the killings in Shiroro, Munya and Rafi local government areas of Niger State on Tuesday, Senator Musa said over 475 persons had been killed by bandits and terrorists in Niger East between January 2020 to date.

Daily Trust quoted the Senator as telling his colleagues that the Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State has been under  constant and sustained multiple deadly attacks by “heartless, venomous and hydraheaded” Boko Haram terrorists for the past seven years.

He said this has resulted in total collapse of the local economies of the affected victims, total collapse of educational system in the affected areas, famine due to collapse of agricultural activities, displacement as a result of desertion of crisis prone areas, depopulation as a result of wanton deaths, among others.

According to him, the attacks are taking place in the absence of the slightest “hindrance, resistance or confrontation” from authorities.

“They have kidnapped many and their wives seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members. Three military camps in Allawa, Bassa and Zagzaga in the two local government areas have been sacked and some security personnel killed by the insurgents in the last one month of renewed attacks.

“I can authoritatively confirm that the Boko Haram terrorist have mounted their flags in many of the villages they have captured such as Kaure, Alawa and Magami. Inhabitants of these war-torn parts of the State have been abandoned and left to their fate thereby compelling them to wallow in perpetual agony and abject misery.

“Furthermore at this moment primary schools in Gwada, Kuta, Pandogari and Minna have hurriedly been turned to IDP camps following the sacking of nearly 5600 villagers from their ancestral homes in Shiroro, Rafi and Munya local government areas in the last few weeks by bandits who raided the towns and villages. And what this means is that if they can launch attacks without hindrance in Niger East Senatorial District then I don’t see how we can be safe in Abuja anymore.”

The Senator added that between March 2021 to date the terrorists have killed more than 25 gallant soldiers, mobile policemen and other security personnel, while more than 16 civilians were killed, many others unaccounted for.

“If this menace is not drastically addressed, the attacks will continue and the danger is that it may escalate further to other communities which are mostly farming communities and they are farmers, may desert their farms this season and this will negatively affect the food sufficiency and economic diversification policy of the Federal Government,” he added.