Soldiers, civilians desert Guzamala, other council areas

Security challenges in the north of Borno have forced both soldiers and civilians out of Guzamala council area, it has emerged.

Abdulkarim Lawan, speaker of Borno state assembly, raised the concern, urging deployment of troops to secure the north of the state.

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He was speaking in talks with a delegation of Guzamala Youth Forum and Students Association led by its Chairman Babagana Alkali in Maiduguri on Thursday.

He said the desertion extended to three council areas in the north of Borno.

“I became very emotional this morning when listening to leader of the delegation, as your representative I have no other options, rather than to say it the way it is.

“Guzamala local government is about 185 kilometers away from state capital, we have two District heads and 16 village heads all of them are taking refugees here in Maidiguri.

“We also have 170 settlements in Guzamala but as I am speaking to you now, there is no single soul, there is no single military or any other security agencies living in the entire territory of Guzamala LGA.

“There’s no civilian in Abadam but there is military at the local government headquarters guarding the land but there’s no single civilian living there, most of the people in Abadam had fled to Niger Republic and Monguno town.

“It is the same thing, go to Marte there is no single civilian in the entire community but the troops are guarding the headquarter of Marte so I am appealing to the government redeploy more troops to northern part of the state. I will like to urge the Federal government to urgently look into this insecurity we are facing in the state,” Abdulkarim urged.

He thanked the military for their sacrifices in the region and urged them to scale up their operations against insurgents in the Lake Chad.

Earlier, the chairman of Guzamala Youth Forum and Students Association Babagana Alkali expressed concerns over prolonging insecurity situation and pointed out that the indigenes of Guzamala are tired of staying on camps for displaced people.

He pleaded that Speaker should help in amplifying their voices so that their people may go back.