A notable security group, Nigeria Security Network, has expressed fear that Nigeria stands on the verge of being split into two as Boko Haram makes lightning territorial gains in the north-east of the country.
In a report made available to the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it warned that Boko Haram was preparing to take over Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following an attack on Bama, another major town in the state.
Residents had claimed that Boko Haram had overrun the city and hoisted its flag in the city centre.
The group with membership of former US envoy, John Cambell, said, “If Maiduguri falls, it will be a symbolic and strategic victory unparalleled so far in the conflict.
“A successful attack could be followed by a takeover of the whole of Borno State and possibly parts of Adamawa, Yobe, and neighbouring Cameroon,” it said.
The report said that unless swift action was taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of ISIS’s lightning advances in Iraq.
“We call on the Nigerian government to urgently reinforce Maiduguri to prevent it falling into enemy hands and regain control over Borno’s network of roads to stem the insurgency’s advance,” it said.
It noted that low morale and inadequate equipment in the army were causing soldiers to refuse to counter-attack and flee from battle, urging the Nigerian government to provide them with adequate equipment and ammunition to confidently stand against Boko Haram in battle.
“Unless drastic action is taken, Nigeria stands to lose a large portion of its territory with an accompanying humanitarian crisis”, it warned.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) gave statistics that at least 20,000 persons living in Bama local government area of Borno State had fled into Maiduguri to escape ‘extra-judicial’ killings as Boko Haram captured the town.
The region’s NEMA director, Alhaji Muhammadu Kanar, told the BBC that the residents fled the troubled zone to Maiduguri seeking for safety.
“We have counted about 20,000 persons mainly from Bama where the sect attacked and hoisted its flags, though some of them were from Kawuri and Konduga,” he said.
“We made an arrangement already in collaboration with Nigeria Red Cross and the state government to take them to refugee camps,” he added.