From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
Communities in Gamborou Ngala, a border town in Ngala local government area of Borno state, where over 300 persons were killed by Boko Haram insurgents, yesterday threatened to migrate to neighboring Cameroon to evade further attacks.
A cross-section of the residents disclosed this in an interview with newsmen, when Governor Kashim Shettima, his Deputy, Zannah Umar Mustapha and the cabinet members visited the area to sympathise with them over the incident.
It could be recalled that suspected Boko Haram militants last Sunday, had launched deadly attacks which lasted for 12 hours in Gamborou Ngala, town along Nigeria-Cameroon border, killing over 300 civilians, while hundreds of houses, shops and vehicles were burnt.
The residents warned that they have no option than to relocate to Cameroon with their entire families as their lives are in serious danger following the renewed bloody attack in their locality.
A resident of the area, Malam Modu Bulama, who spoke to our reporter, alleged that the latest incident proved that Federal Government and security forces have failed protect their lives and properties against yet another attack.
Bulama noted that though the area had suffered series of attacks and serial killings in the past, argued that the recent onslaught was the deadliest, indicating that their safety is no longer guaranteed.
“We have been patience for a long time even as our people continued suffering serious loses of both lives and properties in the past without the Federal Government and security operatives doing anything to protect us.
Now that the level of killings and destructions inflicted on us reached its peak, the alternative before us is to take away our whole families and take permanent refuge in Cameroon Republic, because our lives would more secured there”, he declared.
Another resident, Zannah Yerima, who claimed to have lost three brothers in attack, faulted the Federal Government for not doing enough to protect them.
Yerima explained that the entire communities have started making arrangements on how leave Nigeria for Cameroon, where he said they would stay unhurt.
While going the main market of the town to access the level of damage after the insurgents set it on fire, Governor Shettima urged the aggrieved traders to exercise patience and be calm
The governor called on them to consider the incident as an act of Almighty God, government will rebuild the burnt market and assist the traders to minimize their financial loses.
He equally visited various parts of the town to ascertain the destructions, before proceeding to the Central Mosque to condole members of the various households whose relations were killed in the attack.
Shettima also approved the composition of a seven-man committee saddled with mandate of identifying the victims for possible assistance.
The governor reiterated government’ determination to support security agents in the fight against the dreaded sect.
Chairman of the local government, Bakura Mustapha told the governor that the actual figures of those killed were yet to be ascertained, as they were still compiling the figures.
