Senator Ali Ndume has said the loss of over 300 lives in 252 attacks within the last six months by the Boko Haram terrorists, BHT, in Borno State forced Governor Babagana Zulum to lead a delegation to seek help from the military high command.
Ndume who spoke to journalists, in Abuja, yesterday, said the visit was a product of a series of meetings held between the governor and relevant stakeholders across Borno State.
The Senator who was part of the delegation which visited the Chief of Defence State, General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, and his counterparts in the Army and the Navy, in Abuja, acknowledged that the military was doing its best despite being over stretched.
He said, "Yesterday, myself and the other two senators from my state and a member of House of Representatives and His Excellency the Governor went and had meetings with the CDS, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and even Chief of Naval Staff to discuss the recent escalation or resurgence of the insurgency in Borno State in particular.
"We are worried because just from November last year to date, we experienced 252 attacks in Borno State. In the six months period over 100 soldiers were killed. Over 200 civilians were killed.
"In fact, 238 that we have taken record of even though the Nigerian Armed Forces are doing their best, they have in Borno State eliminated over 800 terrorists and the terrorists themselves have eliminated about 500 of themselves because of the fight between the ISWAP and the Boko Haram.
"As I'm speaking to you now, three of our local governments are under Boko Haram Gudumbari, Marche and Abadam. That is the honest truth of it. And right now from 6pm you cannot go anywhere except in Southern Borno. Even in Southern Borno, seven local governments out of the nine when it is 6 o'clock, you cannot go anywhere.
"You cannot even move between one local government and another after 5 o'clock in Borno state until eight o'clock in the morning. And that is after the Nigerian army has scanned the road manually.
"Our road from Maiduguri to Biu that normally takes maximum of two hours under normal circumstances is closed. Before, you can go there under escort. But the Nigerian army is trying their best despite these challenges that they are facing. They still try to move people from Maiduguri to Damboa only on weekly basis. Their formations have been displaced."
"The Army formation in Wajiruku, in Sabongari, all of them has been displaced. In Monguno in Ngala local government they have been displaced. The soldiers were not the people. As I said, three local governments are under Boko Haram".
"The army is doing their best, but they can't do that without trained and adequate troops. That's why I said, if these things are to be addressed, they must be trained, they must be equipped, they must be armed, and they must be motivated. That's what I call TEAM.
"Right now, the soldiers are overstretched, the police too. The Air Force, are overstretched. The total of them is not up to 300,000 for the Armed Forces including the Army, Air Force and the Navy, they are not up to 300,000."
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