Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has sympathised with 21 people injured by a bomb blast suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram insurgents along Maiduguri-Damboa highway on Saturday.
Of the victims, 14 were severely injured, seven had minor injuries and were receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
The governor, while sympathising with the injured, expressed grief and solidarity with the families of the eight people who lost their lives.
“It is regrettable that it is happening at this time. Since last year or so, we have not witnessed an improvised explosive device [IED] attack. The road was closed for about one month, and I believe this is one of the reasons the insurgents had the luxury of planting an IED”, Zulum said.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting the security agencies and urged the military to beef up surveillance along the highway to prevent future occurrences.
“I urge the Nigerian military and other security agencies to beef up surveillance along the road so that such incidents do not happen again,” Zulum stated.
“The government of Borno State will continue to partner with the Nigerian military and with the federal government to curtail the menace of insurgency. I want to assure the people of Borno State that, Insha Allah, under my watch, we wouldn’t allow the security situation to deteriorate.
“Our administration will provide more support to the security agencies and we will strengthen the resilience of our youth volunteers fighting alongside the military,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum has expressed confidence with the outcome of the meeting held with military chiefs on Thursday in Abuja.
The governor, responding to questions from newsmen in Maiduguri on Saturday after a sympathy visit to those injured from a bomb attack along Damboa road said, “Our discussion during the security council was not bad; we just raised an alarm that Boko Haram activities are resurging in Borno State, and the state government, the military, and other stakeholders need to work together to avert the looming situation.”
He added, “But most importantly, we have been to Abuja, met with the service chiefs and received assurances from them that they will do everything possible to control the situation. We are very happy with their response.”
