Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly (BOSHA), Hon Abdulkarim Lawan, has said that the federal government and the Nigerian military abandoned Guzamala local government area of the state where he hails from to the Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists for over a decade now.
The speaker, who disclosed this yesterday at the June 12 Democracy Day celebration, added that as of today, no single person is living in the local government due to the heavy presence of the terrorists there.
He said another local government that is facing similar challenge is Kukawa local government area in the same northern part of the state.
He, therefore, appealed to the federal government and the Nigerian military to deploy soldiers to the local government areas to enable the people of the areas living in various internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and other places outside Nigeria as refugees to return home.
The speaker, who expressed anger over the continuous living of his people in IDP camps, said that from 2015 to the 2023 general elections, the people of Guzamala have been exercising their franchise in IDPs camps.
“The security agencies have been doing very well in Borno State. They provided an enabling environment for the people of the state, but your Excellency, the Nigerian military abandoned and neglected Guzamala local government to the Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists.
“The local government was abandoned to the terrorists for over a decade now. Up to today, there is no single person, your Excellency, in Guzamala local government. I am appealing to the federal government and the Nigerian military to deploy soldiers to the local government area.
„Our people have continued to stay in the IDPs‘ camps for a decade now. We conducted the 2015 elections in the IDPs‘ camps, we conducted the 2019 elections in the IDPs‘ camps, and we conducted the 2023 elections in the IDPs‘ camps.
“All our people in Guzamala, some of them are living in the Niger Republic, some are living in IDPs‘ camps in Monguno, some are in Baga, while others are here in Maiduguri in host communities. So, once again, I‘m appealing to the federal government and the Nigerian military to take necessary action to ensure that our people return home to live a better life.
“Our traditional rulers, Bulamas, are taking refuge in neighbouring communities. So, your Excellency, there is a need to do more to secure the northern part of Borno State. Even the Kukawa local government area is facing a similar challenge. Our people don‘t have access to their farmlands and homes,“ Lawan lamented.
In his remarks, the acting governor of Borno State, Umar Kadafur, announced that the state government has pardoned 10 deserving prisoners in the spirit of the Democracy Day celebration.
He assured the speaker that Governor Babagana Zulum‘s administration is making every effort to return the people of Guzamala to their ancestral homes.
“Before the end of this administration all displaced persons would be relocated to their ancestral homes, „ the acting governor said.
Meanwhile, the APC chairman in Borno State, Hon Ayuba Bello has applauded the acting governor, Umar Kadafur for coming personally for the celebration.
Ayuba also lauded President Bola Tinubu for his approach to repositioning the economy and ensuring that the issue of insecurity is properly dealt with.
“Governor Zulum has excelled in all the local government areas of Borno State. We are very proud of him. His approach in resetting displaced persons by taking them to their ancestral homes dignifiedly is quite commendable,“ he said.
