CHIBOK UNDER ATTACK AGAIN AS INSURGENTS ABDUCT CIVILIAN JTF LEADER, OTHERS

The Islamic State of West Africa Province on Wednesday attacked Bambula community in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State and reportedly abducted the head of the Civilian Joint Task Force in the community, Mohammed Abba, and others. The attack came barely a week after the terrorists attacked Kwallangulum in Chibok, setting many houses on fire.

Abba had reportedly had been the insurgents’ target since he refused to get compromised.

“The insurgents came in through Ajigum Talala, a part of the forest where ISWAP has a strong unit,” a resident reported. “They headed straight to Abba and took him. They have been warning him before, but Abba refused to cooperate with them. They abducted many others who couldn’t run. They also burnt down property including a vehicle belonging to the community head.”

The spokesman for Kibaku Community Development Association, Dr Allen Manasseh, said the Ajigum Talala community where the insurgents reportedly came from had been under Boko Haram occupation for a long time and had not been liberated despite claims by the military that the insurgents were no longer there.

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He said the war against insurgency was far from being won. “Talala, where the Boko Haram launched the attack from, was never liberated. It has been under the control of Boko Haram from day one. We have been punching the lies by the military that there is no place under Boko Haram occupation.

“When did they open the Damboa-Maiduguri Road? Was it not recently when (Borno State) Governor Babagana Zulum complained? So, why close federal roads if there were no communities under Boko Haram? Then, why are people still in IDPs camps if there are no communities under Boko Haram?

“Even, President Buhari knows that the military are lying and all the service chiefs know that they are lying. From where are the insurgents coming to attack Chibok villages?

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“How many times have they attacked Kwallangulum? Three times since December. So, even if they are not occupying any territory, why are they still carrying out attacks unchallenged? These are the questions we want the media to keep hammering.”

Consequently, yesterday, at the opening of the 10th National Security Seminar organized by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College, AANDEC, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, and NDC in Abuja, President Buhari charged the Nigerian military to be merciless against ISWAP.

President Buhari, represented by the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, said new threats in the areas of insurgency and terrorism had emerged due mainly to the defeat of ISIS. He stated that the security agencies had been given a renewed mandate to deal mercilessly with all forms of criminality such as terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.