Boko Haram: Borno Residents Write Open Letter To President Buhari

Borno Residents Cry Out Over Boko Haram Attacks

Residents of Borno state have told President Muhammadu Buhari that Boko Haram insurgents have not been defeated as been peddled in certain quarters.

The residents also submitted that many of the people living in the area are always in constant fear over when the next attack from the terrorists may occur.

They made their submission in an open letter to the President signed by Hassan Boguma, a traditional ruler in the area.

While acknowledging the presence of the military in the area, the letter stated the people have lost confidence in the military, accusing them of not doing enough to protect them.

The letter is coming a few hours after Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State revealed that the establishment of “super camps” by the military was responsible for Boko Haram attacks on Gubio and Magumeri LGA.

“The attempts by Boko Haram to intimidate and attack communities in the state and the actions of our soldiers in the frontline has made us lose confidence in the recent military’s performance in protecting not only the vulnerable citizens but even the territorial boundaries of the nation,” the letter read.

“Your Excellency, while lauding the efforts of the N/Army for their gallantry in other parts of the state, much is needed to be done in areas around MMC and Jere and in recent attacks on Nganzai, Gajiganna, Gubio, Magumeri, Amurwa, Kalali Abdul, Wanori and yesterday, Dalori villages. The incessant and daring attacks by BHT is becoming a source of great concern to citizens living in the two local governments and five villages simultaneously attacked for three days without any countermeasures or even a response to distress calls from the locals.

“A country’s armed forces were supposed to be a proud and patriotic defenders of both the nation’s territories and its citizens, but our today’s men of the armed forces were either overwhelmed by the desire to amass wealth by all means and, on the blood of the innocent Nigerian citizens, or have been compromised by theories of conspiracy and collaboration by deserting their formations in the face of attacks by the insurgents.”

The residents in their letter, warned the President against believing feedbacks that the Boko Haram insurgents have been technically defeated, noting that he is being fed with false information on the situation at the war theatre.

“You are either fed with false information, or raising hopes of the technical defeat of the BH which is far from the truth.”

“The recent systematic attacks on Gubio a strategic battalion and forcing them to withdraw is not only a shame but a slap on the face of our armed forces and a smack of mockery and abuse on the strength and professionalism of our armed forces which was once a formidable force in the Africa.

“Patriotism being the hallmark of all military operations is near absent, in most cases men that were lacking in experiences of war tactics were posted a seeming guerrilla like operations. The special forces that would have dealt with the peculiarities of insurgency were not properly involved in the operation and munitions that could have been used were not on ground to confront the monster head on.”

According to the residents, there is a seeming case of sabotage, collaboration, and negligence seen in most of the recent attacks.

They added that this action might have emboldened the terrorists in staging more attacks and terrorizing the communities that were unprotected due to the lack of military presence.