Tension rises as Boko Haram targets district heads

Members of the boko haram sect
| credits: File copy

The alleged extension of violent attack by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, to traditional institutions has sent fears into the spines of district heads in three states under the emergency rule.

A security source said the district heads may soon go into hiding following the killing of some of their colleagues in the last three weeks by the terrorist group.

It was learnt that the district heads took the decision to avoid being killed by the terrorists who appeared to have defiled all efforts by security agents to protect lives and property in the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

The security source, who did not want his name mentioned, told Saturday PUNCH on the telephone during the week that apprehension gripped them after the news of the abduction of the District Head of Gumsa, Alhaji Mai Khadi, in Gaidam Local Government Area of Yobe State, was broken earlier in the week.

It was learnt that no fewer than 20 suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed Gumsa village on Monday afternoon and whisked Khadi away in a Hilux Toyota van seen in his palace.

The source said that the recent killing of the Emir of Gwoza in Borno State, Alhaji IdrisaTimta, further heightened the district heads’ fear that the terrorists might hound them.

Timta was travelling with the Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ismaila Mamza and that of Askira, Alhaji Mai Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama, to attend the burial of the Emir of Gombe, Shehu Abubakar, when the Boko Haram insurgents ambushed and killed him.

The emir of Uba and his Askira counterpart were also abducted by the insurgents, but were rescued much later by security agents.

The incident was, however, described by the Northern States Governors Forum as irresponsible, callous and a declaration of war on the traditional institution.

The condemnation of the incident was contained in a statement issued in Minna by Mr. Israel Ebije, the Chief Press Secretary to the Forum’s Chairman and Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu.

“This is indeed a sad development for us as a region and the nation at large. This is happening at a time we are all doing our very best to rescue our over 200 secondary schoolgirls abducted by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram, from their school in Chibok, Borno State.

“We are particularly sad and worried about these ugly developments. We are indeed sad over the killing of the Emir of Gwoza in the recent attack,” Aliyu had said.

But the source said the apparent extension of the violent attacks to traditional institution in the North-East had raised concern among the district heads.