Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima has shed more light on recent controversy over Boko Haram insurgents control on local government areas in the state.
According to him, some observers are confusing recent attacks with sovereign occupation of territories by the insurgents before the coming of Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Shettima’s explanation was made on his behalf by his spokesman, Isa Gusau, at a discussion programme on Channels Television, Sunrise, on Friday.
Controversy over Boko Haram’s capacity was raised after Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, alleged last Sunday that half of Borno State was still under the occupation of Boko Haram, a position that has since been refuted by Governor Shettima on Monday in Maiduguri and President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja.
While answering questions from a three-member panel of host presenters, Shettima said what led to the controversy in the first place was failure to differentiate two related but different elements regarding the insurgency.
“Before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, what obtained was sovereign occupation of local government areas by Boko Haram insurgents and that only happened because after attacks on communities, insurgents declared communities their caliphates, they suspended the Nigerian constitution, hoisted their own flags, held residents hostage, appointed sovereign authorities leaders they called, Amirs and then they imposed taxes and administered the caliphates through set of rules that were dictated by their spiritual leaders at the centre.
“They had government in place in about 20 out of 27 local government areas, which means they had sovereign occupation in parts of Borno State. Since Buhari took over, these caliphates have been wipped out and the governments put in place by the insurgents were toppled by the Nigerian armed forces with support from multi nationals, this is simply what we are saying.
“At the moment, none of our 27 local government areas has the sovereign occupation of Boko Haram. However, some people are confusing recent attacks of the insurgents with sovereign occupation and that is very serious to any responsible government. It amounts to State failure for territories of any country to have sovereign occupation, which is having unconstitutional government in place where there is constitutional government. So, what we are saying is that while it is true that Boko Haram still poses so much threats with serious concerns of safety in the country side of Borno State, none of our local government areas is under the sovereign occupation of Boko Haram with their flags hoisted, the Nigerian constitution suspended, their leaders imposing taxes and administering territories through their own laws as the case in the past”, Shettima said.
The governor also noted that he will be the last person to deliberately misrepresent the true position of things in Borno State as, “hiding Borno’s sickness will amount to dying in silence”.
According to him, some observers are confusing recent attacks with sovereign occupation of territories by the insurgents before the coming of Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Shettima’s explanation was made on his behalf by his spokesman, Isa Gusau, at a discussion programme on Channels Television, Sunrise, on Friday.
Controversy over Boko Haram’s capacity was raised after Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, alleged last Sunday that half of Borno State was still under the occupation of Boko Haram, a position that has since been refuted by Governor Shettima on Monday in Maiduguri and President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja.
While answering questions from a three-member panel of host presenters, Shettima said what led to the controversy in the first place was failure to differentiate two related but different elements regarding the insurgency.
“Before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, what obtained was sovereign occupation of local government areas by Boko Haram insurgents and that only happened because after attacks on communities, insurgents declared communities their caliphates, they suspended the Nigerian constitution, hoisted their own flags, held residents hostage, appointed sovereign authorities leaders they called, Amirs and then they imposed taxes and administered the caliphates through set of rules that were dictated by their spiritual leaders at the centre.
“They had government in place in about 20 out of 27 local government areas, which means they had sovereign occupation in parts of Borno State. Since Buhari took over, these caliphates have been wipped out and the governments put in place by the insurgents were toppled by the Nigerian armed forces with support from multi nationals, this is simply what we are saying.
“At the moment, none of our 27 local government areas has the sovereign occupation of Boko Haram. However, some people are confusing recent attacks of the insurgents with sovereign occupation and that is very serious to any responsible government. It amounts to State failure for territories of any country to have sovereign occupation, which is having unconstitutional government in place where there is constitutional government. So, what we are saying is that while it is true that Boko Haram still poses so much threats with serious concerns of safety in the country side of Borno State, none of our local government areas is under the sovereign occupation of Boko Haram with their flags hoisted, the Nigerian constitution suspended, their leaders imposing taxes and administering territories through their own laws as the case in the past”, Shettima said.
The governor also noted that he will be the last person to deliberately misrepresent the true position of things in Borno State as, “hiding Borno’s sickness will amount to dying in silence”.
He recalled that in October, 2015 when a Federal Government delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and media aides to President Buhari visited Maiduguri, he had said before them that two local government areas where as at that time still under the sovereign occupation of Boko Haram, which he said was the situation then before the military set aside the governments of Boko Haram in those local government areas, making the 27 local government areas of the state, free of sovereign occupation by the insurgents.
Shettima added that the insurgents were now mobile across the state since they have no base. “They inflict havoc as they move around, they deploy suicide attackers because their population is on regular decline, they no longer move in convoy of 300 vehicles like they did in the past, but they still pose so much threats that puts public safety in jeopardy” he said.
Shettima added that the insurgents were now mobile across the state since they have no base. “They inflict havoc as they move around, they deploy suicide attackers because their population is on regular decline, they no longer move in convoy of 300 vehicles like they did in the past, but they still pose so much threats that puts public safety in jeopardy” he said.
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