Borno district head flees to Cameroon after terrorists burn palace

Amid renewed Boko Haram onslaughts, the District Head of Kirawa in Borno State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abubakar, has fled to neighbouring Cameroon after insurgents razed his palace and forced residents to abandon the community.

Our correspondent gathered that large numbers of residents boarded trucks to seek refuge in Cameroonian villages, while others fled to Maiduguri, the state capital, and Pulka, a nearby Nigerian community where soldiers are stationed.

The mass displacement followed a recent Boko Haram attack on Kirawa, a border community in Gwoza Local Government Area, during which several houses, including the monarch’s palace, were burnt.

Residents told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the town is now deserted.

The Chairman of the Kirawa Development Association, Yakubu Mabba Ali Kirawa, called for the urgent establishment of a military brigade in the area.

“As of yesterday evening, I was informed that many of our people boarded trucks to Cameroon communities, particularly in one market there. While some returned to Pulka, a Nigerian community where there are soldiers.

Being a border community where it is just a river that separates us and Cameroon, we are requesting the Federal Government to establish a brigade and increase military deployment,” he said.

A resident, Aji Modu, who fled to Maiduguri, appealed for immediate relief for the displaced.

“As I speak to you, no single person is in Kirawa; everyone has run away. Even our district head is currently sleeping in Kerawa, Cameroon. They need shelter and life support.

If I am to quantify, 60 percent of our people have run to Cameroon, while the remaining 40 percent, myself inclusive, are scattered in Borno villages and Maiduguri, where there is military presence,” he said.

Another resident, Atahiru Lawan, said people left out of fear of another round of attacks.

“We don’t have any military base here. Ever since the Cameroonian forces left due to the attack that displaced our people, we have been left to our fate, protecting ourselves with the help of the Civilian Joint Task Force. Now we are at a crossroads, fearing that the terrorists will strike again,” he said.

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, recently lamented the absence of Nigerian troops in Kirawa, warning that the vacuum had worsened insecurity in the border community.

He raised the alarm after suspected insurgents ambushed Civilian Joint Task Force members and motorists along the Kirawa–Pulka road on Friday, killing one and injuring many others.

Reacting, Ndume described the attack as “disheartening.”

“It is very disheartening that I received a distress call that some armed Boko Haram terrorists laid an ambush on motorists and passengers along the Kirawa–Pulka road yesterday. The victims were escorted by a few members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, as there was no military escort due to the dislodgement of Cameroonian troops based in Kirawa last month.

Unfortunately, one of our brave Civilian Joint Task Force members was killed during an exchange of gunfire in the ambush. Many victims are nowhere to be found as I speak. At least six vehicles, including two Volkswagen Golf saloon cars, a bus, and three trucks, were set ablaze during the attack,” he said.

The senator urged urgent troop deployment to secure the town.

“Let me also appeal to the military authorities to deploy troops, even if it is a platoon, to safeguard Kirawa and its people, because my people are now living in perpetual fear since the dislodgement of Cameroonian troops last month,” he added.

The PUNCH had earlier reported on August 11 that many Kirawa residents fled to Cameroon after a devastating attack in which a schoolgirl, Aisha Muhammad, was abducted.(Punch)