Damboa turns to monarch for return of troops

A delegation of leaders from terror-strained Damboa local government area of Borno State on Saturday visited the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai, to request the redeployment of troops to the troubled region.

Damboa has suffered attacks by suspected Boko Haram members over the last three days, with chairman of the local vigilante group, telling TheCable on Friday that more than 300 insurgents were camped in the area wreaking havoc.

Leader of the delegation, Alhaji Kaumi Damboa, said the visit was aimed at seeking the assistance of the royal father towards ending the attacks, which have “completely destroyed public and private buildings in the town”.

Damboa lamented that Thursday’s attack, for example, lasted several hours due to absence of security agents in the town.

“Boko Haram attacks have become recurring in our town on daily basis. Our people now live in perpetual fear because of the attacks,” he said, appealing to the Shehu to “use his influence to ensure the deployment of troops to the area to prevent future attacks by the insurgents”.

Garbai expressed sadness with reports of recent attacks on the town, and urged residents of Damboa to consider the tragedy as an act of God.

“The news of the attack in Damboa came to me as a rude shock,” he said. “I pray that the almighty Allah will bring these attacks to an end.

He advised the people to remain calm and law-abiding, and promised to channel the community’s request for increased military presence to governor of the state, Kashim Shettima.

Damboa has been some sort of no-go zone for soldiers since the night of Friday July 4, 2014, when soldiers were killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram members.

The military said it killed “more than 50 terrorists” and lost five soldiers, but there have been claims that as many has 40 soldiers might have died in the clash.