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 up to 60 trucks of grains that were
allocated to IDPs in Borno State by the federal
government.
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