By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, says the state government would beef up security for her citizens particularly farmers and ensure the remaining terrorists are eliminated from the state.
Governor Zulum stated this while reacting to the brutal killing of eight farmers by suspected members of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) in Muna, Shuwari, Tamsu Ngamdu and Burum Kaywa communities in Mafa and Jere Local Government Areas of Borno state few days ago precisely on Thursday.
He paid condolence visits to the villages to sympathize with the families of the victims and assured them that his government will intensify efforts to see that the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents are delt with.
“We are going to have a meeting very soon, we are going consider deploying more troops to deal with the situation. We are also going to re-establish Agro rangers to include military personnel and other security agencies to give cover to our farmers.
“Food insecurity is worse than the insecurity itself. So we will do everything possible to ensure that our people go to their farmlands. They have to be allowed to go to their farms by 6 am and come back by 5 pm. We are going to discuss with the military to ensure that they are allowed to farm”, Zulum said.
One of the father of the victims, Baana Abur said “I lost two of my sons in the incident. They went out to fetch us firewood but unfortunately only to hear that they were shot dead by Boko Haram insurgents at Siriri Kare village.
“The insurgents tied their hands before shooting them on their heads and left one of them to go back home to report that the rest were shot dead”, Abur said and started crying.
Another farmer, who lost his brother, Ibrahim Muna said: ,“They went out in the morning to their farm, on their way back home they decided to fetch firewood at Siriri Kare village, where they were intercepted by Boko Haran insurgents around 1 pm on Thursday and they were shot dead by the Boko Haram insurgents but we could not find their corpses until 10 pm “.
“This rainy season, we have prepared to expand our farming activities, but unfortunately it seems the Boko Haram insurgents want to resurface again, after the relative peace we are enjoying” , Ibrahim said.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
Leave a Reply