IN an attempt to dispel earlier report by Senator Kaka Bashir Garbai, some of parts of Borno state are still under the control of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents, the Borno State Governor, Hon. Kashim Shettima has disputed the claim, saying Sen. Garbai was either quoted out of context or that he made the statement out of emotional outburst.
Shettima said “I am authoritatively speaking to you as the chief security officer of the state, no local government area in the state is under Boko Haram occupation.”
“As Chief Security Officer of Borno state, I am telling you authoritatively that our military deserves commendation, because all my local government areas have been liberated, only few insurgents that remain in the sambisa forest were desperate to launch some pockets of attacks as a result of the bombardment that is going on in their hideouts.
“May be, Senator Garbai’s statement he gave to the media were done out of his emotions when he visited the affected areas or he was misquoted. I have been trying to get in contact with the Senator on this unfortunate statement,” Shettima stated.
While commending, the military, Shettima said the military and other security operatives under the ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ are doing their best in the last six months, as the terrorist’s capacity has been degraded with only pockets of them existing in the Sambisa Forest.
The Governor while speaking with newsmen shortly after arriving the state from his trip to Saudi Arabia, where he led a delegation of some northern Governor to the Islamic Development Bank, said Senator Kaka Bashir Garbai may have either be misquoted or spoke out of emotional outburst.
It would be recalled that the Senator representing Borno Central, Senator Kaka Garbai who visited Dalori, Alomari and other villages at the outskirt of Maiduguri that were sacked by insurgents leaving scores dead, informed journalists that “the military are not doing their best to end the war against terrorists, as only Maiduguri, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar council areas were safe and free of insurgents, while 21 of the council areas are partially controlled by terrorists with other three fully still under Boko Haram control”.