The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, claimed on Sunday that Boko Haram insurgents have killed about 300 people in the state in the last six months.
Ndume, who addressed journalists on Sunday in Abuja, said the insurgents now control three local government areas in the state.
He listed the LGAs under the terrorists’ control as Gudumbari, Marche, and Abada.
Ndume’s claim followed last Saturday’s terror attack, which claimed eight lives and left over 20 injured in the state.
The lawmaker has therefore corroborated Governor Babagana Zulum’s claim that the terrorists have mounted a comeback in the state despite denials by the Federal Government.
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He said: “We are worried because just from November last year to date, we experienced 252 attacks in Borno State. In these six months, over 100 soldiers were killed. Over 200 civilians were killed.
“Three local government areas – Gudumbari, Marche, and Abada- are now being controlled by Boko Haram.
“Right now, from 6:00 p.m., you cannot go anywhere except in Southern Borno. Even in Southern Borno, seven local governments out of nine—when it is 6 o’clock, you cannot go anywhere.
“You cannot even move between one local government and another after 5 o’clock until 8 in the morning—and that is only after the Nigerian Army has scanned the roads manually.”
The senator, who commended the efforts of the Nigerian military in fighting the terrorists, acknowledged that they are severely overstretched and under-resourced despite having eliminated over 800 terrorists within the same period.
“The army is doing its best, but they can’t do it without trained and adequate troops.
“If these things are to be addressed, they must be trained, they must be equipped, they must be armed, and they must be motivated. That’s what I call TEAM,” he added.
He described the security situation in the state as “perilous” with severe restrictions on movement due to insurgent activities, noting that most parts of the state have effectively entered a state of curfew.
“Many military formations have been displaced by Boko Haram insurgents, including those in Wajiruku, Sabongari, Monguno, and Ngala. The strategic Maiduguri-Biu Road is closed, and even movement to Damboa is now limited to weekly military-escorted convoys.
“The soldiers are not the problem. The problem is that they are stretched thin. The total number of personnel in the Armed Forces—including the Army, Air Force, and Navy—is not up to 300,000. That’s not enough to secure a country of over 200 million people,” Ndume lamented.
He called for urgent action from the federal government and the international community, stressing that without significant reinforcement, training, and motivation, the situation could spiral further out of control.
© Ripples Nigeria
