Ndume rallies military to clear Boko Haram terrorists from Sambisa forest

Former Senate leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has appealed to the military under the Theatre Command, North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai,’ and other security agencies to intensify efforts geared towards clearing remnants of Boko Haram members still hibernating around Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountains, and other hideouts in border communities within Gwoza and the Republic of Cameroon.

The lawmaker said pockets of attacks recently perpetrated by the terrorists are still posing serious economic setbacks to resilient farmers newly resettled in liberated communities of Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe, Wala, Pulka, and even Gwoza town, the Council headquarters.

In a statement released Thursday, Ndume said the terrorists have resorted to the looting of their unmatured crops without confrontation.

He said: “Sincerely, the renewed pockets of attacks recently perpetrated by insurgents have posed serious economic setbacks to our resilient farmers who were newly resettled in liberated communities of Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe, Wala, Pulka, and even Gwoza town, the Council headquarters. This is because the terrorists resorted to looting of their unmatured crops without confrontation.

“I want to use this medium to appeal to the military and other security agencies to intensify efforts aimed at clearing remnants of terrorists still hibernating in Sambisa Forest and parts of Mandara Mountains bordering Cameroon Republic and Nigeria.”

The former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, while expressing his deep gratitude to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his extraordinary contributions to the development and rebuilding of about 10 Gwoza communities that were completely destroyed, also applauded the efforts and sacrifices made by the military in restoring civil authority in the area.

He specifically hailed the deployment of a medical doctor by the military authorities, who is providing medical services on a daily basis free of charge to over 10,000 Ngoshe people and its environs who have since returned to their ancestral homes.

Ndume, who distributed agricultural inputs such as bags of fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, and cash to thousands of people, mostly genuine farmers, including women and youths, as well as the provision of solar street lights, had a stopover in Warabe community.

He inspected the land designated for the construction of 500 housing units to resettle displaced persons of Warabe by Governor Zulum’s rebuilding initiative.

While expressing the community’s continued need for more development, Ndume remarked: “Like Oliver Twist, we may ask for more, but to be honest, Zulum has exceeded our expectations.”

Ndume paid visits to families who had lost their loved ones recently, offering comfort and support during these challenging times, as a mammoth crowd welcomed him and his entourage in all the communities visited.

Before visiting Gwoza communities, Ndume distributed tricycles and other empowerment materials worth millions of naira to some people across the senatorial district at his Maiduguri residence.