Africa

Boko Haram still holds territories in northeast Nigeria

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Boko Haram Takfiri militants are still holding on to some territories in Nigeria’s troubled northeast, local governors say.

State governors from the troubled northeastern region told a monthly national economic council meeting in the capital Abuja on Thursday that the militant group still controls five municipalities within the northeastern Borno and Yobe states.

“On Boko Haram issues, governors of Yobe and Borno raised the alarm of five local government areas of the two states still being in possession of the insurgents,” an official three-page document made available to reporters after the meeting said.

The governors called for an “increase in military deployment and provision of sophisticated military equipment in those areas,” the document added.

“Insurgents are still hiding in the Sambisa forest,” it went on to say.

It is widely believed that over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno State, by militants in April last year are being held in the sprawling forest there.

Nigerian armed forces have managed to free hundreds of hostages from Boko Haram captivity in their offensives in Sambisa, from where the militant group has planned and executed many of its terrorist operations.

Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states in the troubled northeast have suffered the brunt of the Boko Haram militancy.

The Takfiri group has also targeted mosques, villages and markets in neighboring Borno State in a fresh wave of attacks that have killed hundreds of people in recent months.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to tackle Boko Haram militancy which is currently plaguing the West African nation.

On Wednesday, President Buhari lashed out at the United States for refusing to provide his soldiers with weapons in their fight against Boko Haram.

Buhari said Washington “aided and abetted” the militants in his country by refusing to arm Nigerian forces.

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