Boko Haram members ‘relocating from Sambisa to Taraba forest’

Fleeing Boko Haram members have relocated from Sambisa forest in Borno state to Suntai Daaji forest in Taraba state, Darius Ishaku, governor of Taraba, said on Thursday.

Ishaku made this known when the general officer commanding (GOC) of 82 army division, Enugu, Adamu Abubakar, a major general, paid him a courtesy visit in Jalingo, capital of his state.

The Suntai Daaji forest cut across Bali and Donga local government areas and the Gashaka/Gumti national park in the state.

Ishaku requested the deployment of special security forces in the state to root out “the regrouping Boko Haram insurgents and other terrorists in the state”.

“The massive influx of people into Taraba for some time now has been the major cause of insecurity,” Ishaku said.

“But when I was warning of the repercussions, I was accused of being against visitors, but today all of us are victims of their criminal activities.

“The terrorists are today committing all sorts of criminal activities, including rape, kidnapping and killings.

“People can’t travel freely on Bali-Suntai-Takum road among several other routes any longer in the state.”

Ishaku also proffered ranching as the best solution to the clashes between farmers and grazers as well as cattle rustling in the state.

“The population of Nigeria at independence and now is not the same and we must think and look inward to solve these problems associated with open grazing,” he said.

The GOC said he was in the state to address the issue of farmers/herdsmen clashes as well as the general security situation in the state.

He called for dialogue among parties and active collaboration among the security agencies so as to end the security challenges facing the state.

He also urged the governor to grant amnesty to criminals with timeline in other to mop up illegal arms in the state.

Abubakar commended the governor for the steps taken to improve security in the state and also suggested setting up of a special security committee to work with traditional rulers at the grassroots.

He said any traditional ruler that compromise security in his division “should be removed as a way of strengthening the peace bond.”