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Agony of border communities cut off from Nigeria |
• Cameroon bars us from their territory –Residents
Though it sounds inconceivable, the reality is that Boko Haram has
severed some border communities in the southern and northeastern part
of Borno State from the rest of the country through its incessant
attacks on major roads and bridges in the area.
“I have not gone to my home town for about a year now. At first, the Boko Haram people were always attacking villages and towns around Gwoza. These attacks forced many to flee the area and since then, many of us aren’t willing to take the risk of going home but the worst thing now is that roads to our towns have been destroyed. We can’t even go to Gwoza now and people there can’t come out. We are completely cut off from the rest of Nigeria,” Andrew Tada, a Maiduguri resident told Saturday Sun.
Mid April, Boko Haram insurgents launched an attack on Limankara, a border village in Gwoza Local Government Area, killing scores of people. The village is situated 16 kilometres to Gwoza and Gwoza is about 135 kilometres away from Maiduguri, Borno State capital. “They came, killed many people and burnt houses. But while leaving the village, they destroyed a bridge with IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices),” a resident of Gwoza said. The destruction of the Limankara bridge, according to residents, completely cut them off from Nigeria as the only assess to the neighbouring communities was in Cameroon Republic. Vice Chairman of Gwoza Local Government, Mr Francis Mbala said the attack on communities and major roads in the area has affected movement of good and services, blaming Boko Haram for the attack.
Before the destruction of Limankara bridge, the popular Firgi bridge that linked Maiduguri with Gwoza has suffered similar fate as the insurgents brought down the bridge. A security source said the attack on bridges by Boko Haram was meant to ensure the people do not get help when they are being attack. “It is a tactic by the terrorists to ensure troops don’t have access to the area when they are attacking innocent people,” the source said. The destruction of these bridges also cut off most of the communities at the Nigeria-Cameroon border including Khuhum, Ngoshe Ndahang among others, the source stated.
For now, residents of the area said they have been left with taking a long journey from Gwoza to Askira Uba, to Mbalala and Chibok-Damboa to link up Maiduguri, a distance of over 200 kilometres. “A journey of about 135 kilometres has shot up to over 200 kilometres but the most unfortunate thing is that these roads are not even safe. It is risky to even contemplate plying them,” Musa Njadvara, a Maiduguri-based journalist disclosed.
Residents of Ngoshe Ndahang and some communities behind the Gwoza hills said they are compelled to take pass through the Cameroon territory to enter their villages. However, they alleged the Cameroonian security agencies have barred them from using their territory again. “Our people usually take Uba road in Askira/Uba Local Government to Bilingida in Cameroon on motorcycles, charging up to N1, 000 but the situation is difficult now because the Cameroon security men have warned our people not to pass their territory again,” Andrew Tada said further.
The northeast part of Borno is not also spared as the insurgents blew off Ngala bridge along Dikwa-Gamboru/Ngala road on May 8. The area is known for high production of livestock as most of the cattle are transported from the area through the road to other parts of the country. Sources said the way out for travellers and residents to and from Gamboru, is to go through Banki, a commercially active community at the border, into Cameroon and later enter Gamboru from another Cameroonian village. Residents said the development had severed them from their relations in Nigeria and left them stranded in Cameroon as it is easier for them “to access Cameroon than Nigeria now.”
Meanwhile, Sen Ahmed Zanna, who represents the area (Borno Central) in the Senate, said he was disturbed by the development. “I am really disturbed by the bombing of all the bridges in these areas by Boko Haram and my people have been at the receiving end. It is very unfortunate and this ought not to happen in the first place. I don’t want to approach the Federal Government for the repair now because they will say it is not in the 2014 budget but I’m prepared to talk to the Borno State government to come to the rescue,” he told Saturday Sun.
It was gathered that the state government early in the week deployed some of its engineers to the destroyed bridges especially that of Ngala and Frigi to inspect the extent of damage and give recommendations to the government for repair or reconstruction. However, it is uncertain when this effort will yield result. It appears residents of these border communities may have to live with the challenges of being cut off from their fatherland for some time.
“I have not gone to my home town for about a year now. At first, the Boko Haram people were always attacking villages and towns around Gwoza. These attacks forced many to flee the area and since then, many of us aren’t willing to take the risk of going home but the worst thing now is that roads to our towns have been destroyed. We can’t even go to Gwoza now and people there can’t come out. We are completely cut off from the rest of Nigeria,” Andrew Tada, a Maiduguri resident told Saturday Sun.
Mid April, Boko Haram insurgents launched an attack on Limankara, a border village in Gwoza Local Government Area, killing scores of people. The village is situated 16 kilometres to Gwoza and Gwoza is about 135 kilometres away from Maiduguri, Borno State capital. “They came, killed many people and burnt houses. But while leaving the village, they destroyed a bridge with IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices),” a resident of Gwoza said. The destruction of the Limankara bridge, according to residents, completely cut them off from Nigeria as the only assess to the neighbouring communities was in Cameroon Republic. Vice Chairman of Gwoza Local Government, Mr Francis Mbala said the attack on communities and major roads in the area has affected movement of good and services, blaming Boko Haram for the attack.
Before the destruction of Limankara bridge, the popular Firgi bridge that linked Maiduguri with Gwoza has suffered similar fate as the insurgents brought down the bridge. A security source said the attack on bridges by Boko Haram was meant to ensure the people do not get help when they are being attack. “It is a tactic by the terrorists to ensure troops don’t have access to the area when they are attacking innocent people,” the source said. The destruction of these bridges also cut off most of the communities at the Nigeria-Cameroon border including Khuhum, Ngoshe Ndahang among others, the source stated.
For now, residents of the area said they have been left with taking a long journey from Gwoza to Askira Uba, to Mbalala and Chibok-Damboa to link up Maiduguri, a distance of over 200 kilometres. “A journey of about 135 kilometres has shot up to over 200 kilometres but the most unfortunate thing is that these roads are not even safe. It is risky to even contemplate plying them,” Musa Njadvara, a Maiduguri-based journalist disclosed.
Residents of Ngoshe Ndahang and some communities behind the Gwoza hills said they are compelled to take pass through the Cameroon territory to enter their villages. However, they alleged the Cameroonian security agencies have barred them from using their territory again. “Our people usually take Uba road in Askira/Uba Local Government to Bilingida in Cameroon on motorcycles, charging up to N1, 000 but the situation is difficult now because the Cameroon security men have warned our people not to pass their territory again,” Andrew Tada said further.
The northeast part of Borno is not also spared as the insurgents blew off Ngala bridge along Dikwa-Gamboru/Ngala road on May 8. The area is known for high production of livestock as most of the cattle are transported from the area through the road to other parts of the country. Sources said the way out for travellers and residents to and from Gamboru, is to go through Banki, a commercially active community at the border, into Cameroon and later enter Gamboru from another Cameroonian village. Residents said the development had severed them from their relations in Nigeria and left them stranded in Cameroon as it is easier for them “to access Cameroon than Nigeria now.”
Meanwhile, Sen Ahmed Zanna, who represents the area (Borno Central) in the Senate, said he was disturbed by the development. “I am really disturbed by the bombing of all the bridges in these areas by Boko Haram and my people have been at the receiving end. It is very unfortunate and this ought not to happen in the first place. I don’t want to approach the Federal Government for the repair now because they will say it is not in the 2014 budget but I’m prepared to talk to the Borno State government to come to the rescue,” he told Saturday Sun.
It was gathered that the state government early in the week deployed some of its engineers to the destroyed bridges especially that of Ngala and Frigi to inspect the extent of damage and give recommendations to the government for repair or reconstruction. However, it is uncertain when this effort will yield result. It appears residents of these border communities may have to live with the challenges of being cut off from their fatherland for some time.
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