Only three of the 27 local government areas of Borno State are safe as all others are still either fully or partially occupied by Boko Haram militants, Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, who represents Borno Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has said.

Senator Garbai told newsmen at the weekend after visiting Dalori and Mairi villages in Konduga LGA of the state which were recently attacked by the militants that only the state capital, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar LGAs were free of the militants.

He said while Mobar, Abadan and Kala Balge were under the total control of the militants, 21 other local government areas of the state were partially occupied by them, adding: “There is this assumption that most of local government areas in Borno State have been recaptured. In reality, it is not true! Apart from these three local governments – Maiduguri Metropolis, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar that are 100 percent under the occupation of the Nigerian Army and police, nowhere is very safe and free of insurgents.

“Some of the local governments are partially occupied by insurgents but Mobar, Abadam and Kala Balge LGAs are under the control of the insurgents. If you liberate local government headquarters but adjoining communities are still under the control of insurgents like Konduga, you cannot say the area is safe. I think the military needs to intensify efforts to secure all the local government areas that are either fully or partially occupied by the insurgents. Nobody is willing to stay in nearby villages any longer. Everyone is migrating to Maiduguri. People are afraid that very soon they may likely come under attack.”

He lamented that hundreds of helpless civilians are fleeing their homes as the militants recently intensified attacks on villages close to Maiduguri.

•Excerpted from a Daily Trust report. Photo shows Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai.

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