by: Duku Joel, Damaturu
Some military camps in Buni Yadi, Buni Gari and Goniri in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State have been seized by Boko Haram insurgents, residents said yesterday.
The bombing of the Katarko Bridge by the insurgents has cut off vehicular and human movement between Buni Yadi and Damaturu, the state capital.
It was gathered that residents who defy the odds to travel in the area break their journeys at Katarko and cross the River Katarko to join a vehicle to Buni Yadi or Buni Gari.
Adamu Saleh(not real name), who rode on a bicycle to Damaturu, said Boko Haram insurgents move freely in the area, brandishing their weapons.
He said the insurgents occupied locations that were previously manned by the military.
“I am just coming from Buni Yadi. I came with my bicycle all the way to this place. I did not use any bush path. I followed the main road.
“We are facing a very terrible situation. There is no single security in our area. The same in Buni Gari and Goniri. In fact, the boys ( yaara, in Hausa, referring to Boko Haram) have taken over the military camps,” the man said.
A top security source who does not want to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the media, said: “It is not a secret any longer that our forces are no longer in Buni Yadi, Buni Gari and Goniri. We only have our troops at Katarko.”
Katarko is 22km from Damaturu and 34km from Buni Yadi.
Residents of Gujba and Gulani have called on the Yobe State Government to rebuild the bridge.
It was gathered that officials of the Ministry of Works, who assessed the bridge, narrowly escaped death in the hands of the insurgents who opened fire on them.
In neighbouring Northern Cameroon, attacks carried out by suspected Boko Haram members on Wednesday killed 20 people, including 10 traders in Zigague village, an army officer told Chinese News Agency Xinhua yesterday.
Colonel Didier Badjeck, head of Communication at the Defence Ministry, said the attackers had a cross fire with the Cameroon forces.
“The attackers have been forced back. On their way of retreat, they attacked a bus, killing 10 people in the bus, including one soldier from Cameroon’s Rapid Intervention Batallion,” Badjeck said, adding that the attackers raided the bus for revenge.
Last month, hundreds of heavily armed men invaded the same region, killing 15 people.
