Thousands of residents of Bama and Gwoza Local Government Areas of Borno state are now on the run as Boko Haram insurgents who were dislodged from their camps in Sambisa Game Reserve by the Joint Task Force (JTF) have invaded the two towns and taken over completely.
Bama and Gwoza are located along the Sambisa off shore and strongholds of Boko Haram insurgents that have witnessed series of killings, bombing and destruction of residential and public buildings in recent times.
The last bloody attack carried out by Boko Haram sect in Bama have left over 40 policemen, 13 prison warders, 3 soldiers, 10 Boko Haram suspects and many civilians dead. While Police Barracks and Mobile Police formations including the offices of the Area Commander and the Police Divisional Officer were all razed down.
Escaped residents who arrived Maiduguri, the state capital Saturday through Dikwa via Muna road told our Correspondent that ” We paid N7,000 each to be transported to Maiduguri instead of N300 normal fare, since the Maiduguri- Bama -Gwoza federal road has been rendered unpassable as it was blocked by the JTF since the emergency rule”.
Speaking to our Correspondent in Maiduguri, one of the fleeing residents, Mallam Umar Mustapha said, ” the insurgents are moving from house to house issuing threat letters that all civil servants and Christians must leave Bama before seven days, or risk their lives”.
More details soon