If anyone still doubts the number of Nigerian territories under the firm control of Boko Haram insurgents, then the testimony of Adamawa State Governor, James Bala Ngilari ?who revealed in Abuja today that the sect has taken over more than five local government areas within weeks may sound convincing. The governor who painted a gloomy picture said the entire Adamawa North senatorial district which is more than one-third of the state is gone to the terrorists.
Ngilari who disclosed this at the flag-off ceremony of the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme at the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja ?said his people are in great danger and now looking forward to an urgent intervention of federal troops to save them.
“The security situation in Adamawa is very dicey right now and are only trying to do our best to manage the situation. We are praying that it will improve, but it is really something to worry about. I can talk of my entire senatorial district, Mubi senatorial district. Five local governments have been overrun; Gombi too now and I just got a report perhaps the outskirts of Shani. There is a semblance of movement in that area. Really, we need a lot of intervention. We need to move more troops to secure the state. Really, it is a big challenge”, Ngilari looking thoroughly harassed and frightened stated .
Commenting on the taking over of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh’s Vimtim hometown, Ngilari said, “We shouldn’t reduce this issue of the insurgency to simply the taking over of the house of the defence chief. There are a whole lot of things that make up the challenge of insecurity. What about the problem of unemployment? You know it is a whole long story. We don’t just reduce it to the taking over of the house of the defence chief. I think it is more than that. Absolutely it is a challenge. We look up to God, God is there, there is nothing impossible for Him. We will do our best, but it is not something that we should leave in the hands of government. Everybody has a role to play in terms of giving out information timely, in terms of convincing people who are involved, they live with us, they are not from planet mass, they are part and parcel of the society”.
Asked how soon he thinks the insurgency will be over in the north-east, the Adamawa governor said, “I believe that Nigeria will really overcome, but I don’t know the time frame. Anything that affects any part of Nigeria affects the rest. We must all see how we can tame this monster”
