The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has called on the federal government and military authorities to deploy soldiers to border communities in Borno, including Kirawa, Wulgo, Baga, Damasak, and Malam Fatori, due to their economic importance to both the state and the country.
Zulum made the appeal on Friday during a visit to Kirawa in the Gwoza Local Government Area to sympathize with residents following a Monday night attack by Boko Haram terrorists. The attack resulted in the deaths of two people and extensive destruction, including the burning of the house of the district head of Kirawa, as well as over 50 houses, vehicles, and heavy-duty equipment.
During the visit, the governor promised to rehabilitate all the burnt houses, rebuild the dispensary into a General Hospital, and explore the possibility of compensating victims whose homes and shops were destroyed.
After a closed-door meeting with the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, and the Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Zulum revealed that an agreement had been reached to deploy soldiers to Kirawa in the near future.
The governor expressed regret that his earlier request for the deployment of troops to secure the border communities had not been given the necessary attention.
“Kirawa was established about seven years ago with the support of the Cameroonian soldiers, but unfortunately, the insurgents displaced them a few months ago. I notified the Nigerian military of the dangers of leaving the border towns unsecured, but my request was not acted upon,” Zulum said.
He added that the border communities such as Wulgo, Kirawa, Baga, Damasak, and Malam Fatori are vital and need protection due to their strategic importance.
The governor also called on the youths in the community to assist security agencies by exposing any terrorist collaborators among them and to work together to safeguard their town. Additionally, Zulum promised to offer jobs to qualified youths and empower women in the community.
The district head of Kirawa, Abdulrahman Abubakar, thanked the governor for his support and assured him that the people of the community would collaborate with the security forces and Civilian Joint Task Force to protect the area.
