Borno Community Decries Boko Haram Attacks, Counts Losses

Residents of Kirawa in Gwoza local government area of Borno State have decried continuous attacks on the community by Boko Haram terrorists, leading to loss of some lives and property with displacement of people from their homes.

Kirawa is about 22km from Gwoza, the headquarters of Gwoza local government area and about 112km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Our correspondent reports terrorists dislodged the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) base in Kirawa mounted by Cameroonian soldiers in the first attack, forcing the residents to flee to Cameroon for safety, while in the second attack, a top Civilian Joint Task Force member was killed and about six vehicles loaded with goods and farm produce set ablaze between Pulka – Kirawa Road.

In the recent and third attack which occurred last Monday, two lives were lost as the terrorists set the palace of the district head of Kirawa alongside 50 houses and shops ablaze, including heavy duty equipment used in grading the dilapidated Kirawa Road by the Borno State Government.

Lamenting their predicament, a resident of Kirwa, Mohammed Abubakar, said the terrorists burnt down most of their houses and shops.

Abubakar added that hunters and vigilantes were leading residents to Cameroon to sleep at night and return in the morning to their community out of fear before Governor Babagana Zulum mobilised Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to the area.

He said the people have been struggling to feed from the common food donated to the community since the recent attacks as most of their businesses were destroyed by the terrorists, adding that their immediate need is the deployment of soldiers to the community to guarantee their safety.

Abubakar stressed that since the Cameroonian soldiers from the MNJTF were dislodged about a month ago, there have been no presence of conventional security, especially the Nigerian military in the community.

In the same vein, 48-year-old Baba Kyari Shettima, a father of 11 children with two wives commended Governor Zulum for mobilising members of the CJTF, hunters and vigilantes to build the confidence of the people against the invading Boko Haram terrorists.

Shettima further called for deployment of soldiers to the community now that people were picking up their lives back after the destructions.

He added that it has not been easy for his family since the latest attack after losing his business after the terrorists burnt their shops.

In the same sentiment, Zara Mohammed, a mother of 9 children recalled how the Boko Haram terrorists have attacked the community thrice, killing and burning property, saying help have not been coming their way in all these attacks before the coming of the Governor who provided food for them.

“We want soldiers to come to our rescue, we need soldiers so that we can stay in our community and stop fleeing to Cameroon whenever the terrorists attacked.

“In the night we do move to a school in Cameroon or under trees where they used to bring food for us. But with the mobilisation of local security to the community by the Governor, we have been in the community,” she said.

For the district head of Kirawa, Abdulrahaman Abubakar whose palace was also set ablaze, identified absence of hospital and dilapidated roads as major challenges facing his people.

Speaking during a sympathy visit to the community on Friday, Governor Zulum regretted that seven years after the resettling of Kirawa community, the terrorists tried to disrupt the peace the people were enjoying.

Zulum reiterated his call for the deployment of soldiers to border communities like Kirawa, Wulgo, Baga, Damasak, Malam Fatori, among others.

“About seven years ago, we built new school, fortunately the school is intact, but the dispensary built was burnt down by the terrorists. I want to assure the people that we will rebuild the burnt dispensary to a befitting General Hospital. We will rehabilitate all the houses that were destroyed. We look into the possibility of compensating members of the community that have lost their property,” the Governor said.

He also promised to drill boreholes in the community and grade the dilapidated road for easy movement of persons goods and property as well as equipping the CJTF, hunters and the security agencies with modern technology required in tackling the terrorists.