Reports have it that the Boko Haram insurgents are establishing a new base in Bauchi state, a senator revealed yesterday.
Senator
Isa Hamma Misau (APC, Bauchi Central) said the insurgents were
relocating to the area from their stronghold in Sambisa Forest.
Hamma
Misau, a retired Police officer, told Daily Trust in an exclusive phone
interview that the insurgents had started establishing themselves in
Burra Forest in Ningi Emirate Council of his constituency.
He said the Burra forest is linked through a corridor to the Falgore Forrest in Kano state and Saminaka in Kaduna State.
“The
Boko Haram insurgents are relocating to the Burra Forest. It is a very
large forest extending to three states and it is from there that the
terrorists are going to other places to unleash terror on people.
“It
was because of their activities that a new Police division was opened
in Burra but the police cannot carry out operation in the forest because
it is a high risk operation.
“They kidnap people daily, and receive between N3million and N5million as ransom,” he said.
The
senator said the terrorists told their victims that they relocated from
the Sambisa Forest, the hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno
state.
“They also said the terrorists are in hundreds and that they coordinate their operations from the forest,” he said.
“They
have collected so much money from the people but because the place is
in remote area, it has not been given national prominence.
“The people are highly sophisticated, and to tackle them, we need serious surveillance, intelligence and equipment.”
He
said when the Senate reconvenes next month he would sponsor a motion
with a view to attracting the attention of the security agencies to it.
“I’m
going to write to the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Army
Staff and the Director of DSS for them to intervene. There is need for
combined efforts of all security agencies in order to tackle the
terrorists,” he said.
We’ll flush them out wherever they relocate – DHQ
The
Defence Headquarters yesterday confirmed that Boko Haram militants who
had been dislodged from Borno state were relocating to new basis in
forests and hide outs in the country.
The defence spokesman,
Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar stated this yesterday, when contacted
over reports of activities of Boko Haram in some areas and forests in
Bauchi State.
He said: “It is not out of place if the terrorists
are relocating because of ongoing operations by the military and equally
because of operations of the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).”
Abubakar
noted that the MNJTF on operation Gama Aiki recently pounded the
positions of Boko Haram, using aerial precision equipments, adding
that:” it won’t be out of place as a result of that, they are moving and
relocating to other places.”
He said: “However, wherever they
go, the military, with other security agencies will intercept them. The
next phase of the operations will take care of them.”
General
Abubakar further said: “The inhabitants of that general area should be
on the lookout of new persons and cooperate with security agencies. They
are fleeing not only to Bauchi but other place.”
Kidnappings not in Burra alone – Bauchi Gov
Speaking
on alleged infiltration of Boko Haram elements into parts of Bauchi
State, including Burra forest, the special adviser to Governor Mohammed
Abubakar, retired General Yusuf Ladan, said the security challenges they
had were not posed by the Boko Haram insurgents but by bandits.
“When
cases of kidnappings and rustling became a common phenomenon, Governor
Abubakar sought the intervention of the military and operation is
ongoing along Burra Forest.”
He said it was the local population that sometimes mistook military operatives as Boko Haram insurgents.
“The
operation is being carried out without prior notice and the local
population sometimes got scared when they see military operatives whom
they normally suspect to be insurgents.
“Both ground and aerial
reconnaissance is on-going, not only in Burra area but around Toro Local
Government Area where the District Head of Tama was abducted.
Initially, cooperation from the people there was disappointing but we
summoned the community leaders for a meeting in Bauchi and the governor
read the riot act for them. They are now cooperating.
“On Thursday, two notorious bandits, including Mai Rakumi and Dogo Mai AK47, in addition to nine culprits were arrested.
He
said it was only in Balmo Forest, near Darazo in Ganjuwa Local
Government, which shares border with Jigawa State that some elements of
Boko Haram were tracked down recently.
“The issue of kidnapping
and cattle rustling is not restricted to Burra forest only; it’s common
in northern parts of Nigeria and some of those disturbing us actually
relocated from Zamfara (state) axis where military operation was
launched lately.
“Senator Hamma Misau should have contacted us to
get the true situation of things. Yes, he has his points but we are
here on ground and everyday interfacing with relevant security agencies
on how to address the menace.
“We had cases of kidnappings and
rustling along the Dass-Tafawa Balewa but troops from the 33 Artillery
Brigade have cleared the area. We also had issues along Dindima in
Alkaleri Local Government Area which have been cleared through
collaboration between security agencies and local vigilantes.
“Of
course, as a result of persistent kidnappings, the same troops that are
now in Zamfara had carried out clearance operation along Alkaleri-Kirfi
axis here in Bauchi State.”
Our correspondent recalled that in
July 2014, there was massive operation by Nigerian troops at the Balmo
forest resulting in the killing of scores of Boko Haram insurgents.
Initially,
the Bauchi State government at the time denied the presence of Boko
Haram, but following the clampdown, one Mohammed Zakari, 30, a senior
member of the Boko Haram terrorists’ was arrested.
The suspect,
who hails from Kaigamari Village, Daptchari in Darazo Local Government
Area, Bauchi State was the “chief butcher” of the insurgent group at the
Balmo forest camp and was linked with the slaughter of seven (7)
people, including women and children.
Saraki demands probe of recruitment in IDP camps
The
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has urged security agencies to probe
reports that Boko Haram members are recruiting young Nigerians in
Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) camps.
In a statement by his
media aide yesterday, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said it was important for
Nigeria’s intelligence apparatus to take such rumours seriously.
“Seeing
that ISIS has been recruiting members from European refugee camps, and
the Kenyan government recently had to shut down the world’s largest
refugee camp because Al-Shaabab was using the place to train and recruit
young people as extremists, it is important that we take the rumours
about Boko Haram recruiting from IDP camps seriously,” he said.
He
also called for a comprehensive probe of the diversion of relief
materials meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the
North-east.
He applauded the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) for investigating and arresting a contractor who
diverted 60 trucks of grains that were allocated to IDPs in Borno State
by the federal government.
Source: Daily Trust