Mubi, the second largest town in the state, fell to the Islamic sect about two weeks ago after the insurgents drove away Nigerian troops and took over their barracks.
The victory recorded by the local hunters and Civilian JTF men has elicited jubilation and praise across the state as people gave a sigh of relief, and are hoping that the development marks the beginning of the end of insurgency in the state.
Dozens of the fleeing insurgents were reportedly killed by Nigerian troops who reportedly lay an ambush in anticipation.
Sequel to yesterday’s recapture of Mubi, about 75 insurgents were killed in Maiha town on Wednesday by local hunters who wounded hundreds of other insurgents and arrested many others.
Unconfirmed reports, however, said the whereabouts of the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, who was believed to be in the town when the hunters struck, could not be ascertained.
Reports from Mubi indicate that the hunters have recaptured the 234 Army Battalion and other strategic security formations in the area which the insurgents overran when they seized the town, and were said to be advancing towards Michika and Madagali which are under the control of the insurgents.
Similarly, all the flags hoisted by the insurgents have been uprooted and replaced by Nigerian flags.
Residents said the palace of the Emir of Mubi, which had been converted to the spiritual headquarters of the sect, has now been taken retaken while the Boko Haram flags have been destroyed.
Meanwhile, the insurgents have beaten a retreat into the bush with the local fighters giving them a hot chase.
Adamawa Sate governor Bala Ngilari, who confirmed the development in Yola, said that “the insurgents have been flushed out of Mubi and are on the run,” attributing the success to a divine order.
“God is in this business of security in Adamawa State. You know in the last one week or so, the government has decided to be working with the vigilante group ‘Yan Baka’, local hunters and Civilian JTF. They have been working hand in hand with our security forces,” he said.
According to him, following the success recorded, the insurgents have been completely routed from Mubi and are running towards Askira, with the hunters chasing after them.
He said the Mubi feat followed a synergy between the Adamawa State government, military and paramilitary outfits, the local hunters and Civilian JTF operatives who all made significant contributions.
Ngilari thanked all those behind the success in flushing the insurgents from Mubi town, describing them as heroes who put their lives on the line to ensure that the state is freed.
Stating that normalcy will soon return to Mubi, the governor urged the people to go about their normal businesses.
“There should be no room for people to panic at all because this is the time to rejoice. We should also, in doing so, be sensitive to whatever information we come by. Our people who left should come back as there is no cause for panic. We have registered remarkable success and God is on our side. The good old days will be back,” Ngilari assured.
Senate, Army Chief Meet Over Boko Haram
Tensions were high at yesterday’s meeting between members of the Senate Committee on Defence and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah, on the increasing level of terror attacks in the north east.
While the senators wanted a briefing on the state of affairs in the region where fatalities have been recorded in the last few days, with the media in attendance, to reassure Nigerians that the military was countering the militants, the army chief was averse to discussing military operational matters before the press.
The Defence Committee had invited service chiefs – chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, chief of Army Staff Major General Kenneth Minimah, chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, and chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Adeola Amosu – to brief its members on the state of affairs in the north east with regard to the fight against Boko Haram.
But while others, including the inspector-general of Police Suleiman Abba and the director-general, Directorate of State Services (DSS) Mr. Ekpeyong Ita, were also invited, only the army chief Minimah honoured the invitation on behalf of the Defence chief Badeh.
The chairman of the committee, Senator George Sekibo, had sought to know why insurgents were having a field day in the north east despite the $1 billion the legislature approved for the prosecution of the war.
Sekibo also warned the army chief that Nigerians were getting impatient and irritated not only with the military but also with the government and those who represent them at various levels.
“I believe that we are trying our best but is our best the best we can offer? What is happening is becoming increasingly difficult to explain to Nigerians. We want to be told what is happening. The insurgents are having a field day.
“We are aware that they (government) is releasing your funds to you because you have not complained. We also approved $1billion for the president to purchase arms and ammunition to fight Boko Haram. We are aware that your budget is being released to you. If you have difficulties, you should tell us.
“The spate of insurgency, the way and manner the insurgents are taking areas, is getting worrisome,” he said.
The senator further asked the army boss about the ill-fated ceasefire with the insurgents, and whether such a pact was ever on the table.
“We want to know whether there was a dialogue, the stage of the dialogue, if any, because few days after the announcement of the ceasefire, the insurgents struck and have continued to strike.
“At the last meeting we were told that the insurgents had captured seven local government areas. The CDS confirmed that and asked that they should be given some time to liberate the captured areas. We want to know where we are,” he said.
He also expressed worry whether, with the approaching election year, elections could be held in the north east under the dire security challenge.
But when it was time to respond, Minimah said he would not discuss that issue before the press, saying, “I came to interface with the Senate Committee on Defence; can the press leave us?”
A member of the committee, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, intervened by reminding Minimah that the press was an important factor in nation building but after Minimah still refused to speak, Senator Abdul Ningi also attempted to persuade him to reassure Nigerians on what the military was doing to win the war against insurgency.
The pressmen were asked to leave but after about two and half hours, the meeting ended.
Afterwards Sekibo told the correspondents that the chief of Army Staff had responded to all the issues that were raised before him, adding that there could be setbacks because the insurgency was not a conventional warfare.
“Because it is not conventional, few mistakes might come here and there and the issue is that it will be corrected. We are also assured that within a very short period, some of the territories that were taken by the insurgents will be taken back for the country.
“We are assured to inform our constituents that it will not get worse than what we have now. We believe from the charge we have given to them from tomorrow and perhaps the nearest couple of weeks, we are going to have better results.”
Minimah on his part said: “We had a painful setback in Basa that resulted in the loss of territories up to Mubi, but we are working very hard to retake those territories, and very soon, we will reclaim those territories and indeed other territories that the insurgents have taken.”
Boko Haram: Catholic Bishops Meet With Jonathan
… Want inclusion in distribution of relief materials
… Say distribution process is lopsided
Catholic Bishops yesterday met with President Goodluck Jonathan, seeking to be involved in the distribution of relief materials to victims of terror in the country, particularly in the north east.
The bishops, who were led by the president of the Catholic Bishop Conference, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, told journalists after the meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja, that the process of relief distribution, as currently being carried out by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), was lopsided.
Kaigama noted that considering the experience of the Catholic Church in its interventionist approaches in crisis situations, government should bring it on board to improve the system.
“We are here on behalf of the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria. We have some concerns about the situation of security in the nation as well as political developments. So, in general terms we shared with him in a conversation and discussion.”
Expressing worry over the continuous incidence of killings in the country, the bishop said: “We feel that things are not right. Territorially, our land is being taken away. The people we look after are displaced, their homes, their villages and towns are captured and they are internally displaced, and have become refugees in their own land.
“We thought this is not right. We have families that are just stranded. We thought that the president should know.”
Kaigama added that the Catholic Church had a good structure for relief distribution and in taking care of such situations and sought government’s collaboration.
He said, “We have what we call the Catholic Peace and Justice Commission; we respond when there is an emergency. We know how to technically do registration of displaced people.
“The little funds we gather, we buy clothing and materials and are able to reach out very effectively. You would almost say, scientifically, because every victim gets something.
“So we are telling government that we are aware of the wonderful effort they do, the relief they give through NEMA and other agencies; the effectiveness of the distribution is our concern.”
According to him, the president assured them that he was on top of the situation.
President Jonathan had told the bishops that government was reviewing its strategies and that, by the grace of God, the terror attacks being witnessed will soon be a thing of the past.
Kaigama said, “This is the assurance we are coming away with. We are here with long years of experience; as a Catholic Church, we don’t discriminate. In fact, 90 percent of the people we give relief to are not Christians or even Catholics, so we should be brought on board.
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