Border residents threaten to dump Nigeria

Residents of Gamborou, a commercially thriving border community in Borno State have threatened to migrate to the neighbouring communities in Cameroon should the Federal Government fails to stop incessant attacks on their town and mindless killings by Boko Haram. Gamboru located about 200 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital, witnessed violence last week as Islamist sect members invaded the busy town in broad day-light, killing over 200 people. Angered by the incessant attacks on the town especially with the killing of their kits and kin as well as the massive destruction of houses and other properties last week, residents told journalists during the visit of Gov Kashim Shettima to the town weekend that they were determined to migrate to areas where their security can be guaranteed. The residents said their lives are under serious threat. Last Sunday’s attack was the third since insurgency heightened in Borno State. One of the residents, Malam Modu Bulama, who spoke to newsmen, expressed worry on why the community had been left unprotected. He said that Boko Haram had the effrontery to destroy offices belonging to Nigeria Immigration and Customs with alleged little resistance from the men and officers of these services. “Government must do something urgently because Boko Haram can’t be as strong as that, “We have been patient for a long time, even as our people have continued to suffer serious losses of both lives and properties in the past without the Federal Government and security operatives not doing enough to protect us. Now that the level of killings and destructions inflicted on us have reached the peak, the alternative before us is to take away our families and seek refuge in Cameroon, our neighbours, because our lives will be more secured there,” he stated. Another resident, Zannah Yerima, said he lost three brothers in last Sunday’s attack even as he berated the government “for not doing enough” to protect them. Gov Shettima, who was accompanied by his deputy, Zannah Umar Mustapha, appealed for patience, saying it was time for all Nigerians to fight the common enemy (Boko Haram) rather than apportioning blames. He called on them to consider the incident as an act of God, assuring that government will rebuild the burnt market and assist the traders to cushion the impact of the financial losses. Boko Harm had on April 14 this year stormed the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State and abducted over 200 schoolgirls. The kidnapping attracted global outrage, condemnations and protests. World powers including the United States, Britain and China have intervened with the U.S. and UK sending their military experts to assist Nigerian Armed Forces in the search and rescue operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu promised at the weekend to send in counter-terrorism experts.