Boko Haram: Our borders are porous, some insurgents aren’t Nigerians – Akpabio

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- THE President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has given an insight into the resurgence of Boko Haram activities in some parts of the country with cases of massive killing and wanton destruction of property, saying that some of these bandits are not from Nigeria as a country.

According to him, after insurgents strike in Nigeria, they go back to their countries to reinforce especially when they discover that people are unprepared; they return and carry out their nefarious activities.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja after discussions on a motion on resurgence of Boko Haram activities in Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas, Adamawa State and other North East States, Akpabio said that Nigeria has to be vigilant against the backdrop that the country’s borders are porous.

Akpabio said, “From what the Chief Whip is describing, it will look like there must be continual vigilance because, like you said, any time the fight abates and they think that the military has relaxed, then they will carry them unawares by sporadic attacks.

“And when they are unprepared, they will end up losing lives. Our borders are very porous, so at any time they escape from Nigeria because some of them are not from Nigeria. They still find their way in at any time and cross into attacking our people.”

Meanwhile, the Senate has urged the Federal Government to establish a Military base in Hong Local Government Area for reinforcement to the existing personnel of the Nigerian Army and other sister security operatives.

The Senate, while commending what it described as the brilliant performance of the law enforcement agents, the need to establish such a Military base would stop the Boko Haram insurgency from spreading to wider communities in the North and beyond.

The Upper Chamber has directed the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to provide relief materials to cushion the effects of the attacks on the affected communities, just as it observed a minute’s silence in honour of those who lost their lives.

Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion titled, “Resurgence of Boko Haram activities in Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas, Adamawa State and other North East States” it was sponsored by Senator Amunu Iya Abbas, PDP, Adamawa Central and co-sponsored by all the Senators from the North East.

In his presentation, Senator Abbas said that the “Senate Notes that the incidences of successive Boko Haram attacks on communities in Hong LGA left thousands of innocent people homeless and displaced.

“Further notes that the frequent attacks directly affect the following communities among others: 25th February, 2025 Kwapre and Zah were under attack where houses were burnt, schools destroyed, and many people injured.

“15th April, 2025, Banga and Lar communities were attacked, five (5) killed, houses and churches burnt down; 26th April, 2025, Kwapre in Yadul district Garaha ward was attacked again. This time, 11 members of the local vigilante were killed, houses and public properties destroyed.

“16th May, 2025 (just last week) Kulda in Yadul District, Garaha Ward was attacked, 16 people killed, over 90% of the houses, including places of worship, were burned down and Mayo Ladde community in Gaya ward was also attacked. The attack left 6 people dead.

“Also notes that the neighbouring Gombi LGA has as well been under the Boko Haram attacks. January 17th 2025, 4 people were killed; February 17th 2025, 1 hunter was killed.

“Aware that the resurgence of the Boko Haram activities cut across the North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
“Worried that the unfortunate activities of the Boko Haram affect the economic activities of the affected areas and, by extension, the whole region and the country at large. People in the affected areas no longer go to the farms or normal trading activities.

“Disturbed that if not proactively checked, the Boko Haram insurgency is capable of spreading to wider communities in the North and beyond.”

In his contribution, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, APC, Borno North, said, ” I also want to seize this opportunity to commend the Nigerian military for their determination and enthusiasm in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency and the political will and support given to the Nigerian military by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Forces, Tinubu toward discharging their mandate.

“If I can refresh your memory, that at a time two-thirds of local government in Borno and Yobe have said that under the sub-control of Boko Haram, I don’t know. But as a result of the political will by the government and support, as well as the same determination and enthusiasm displayed by the military and the gallantry. Boko Haram was decapitated, the local governments that were under the firm control of the Boko Haram insurgents were liberated and Nigerian authority was restored.

“I don’t know what to write. Mr. President, Distinguished Senators, before, even in the wildness of my dreams, I cannot think of going to my constituency or my hometown. Even in the wildness of my dreams. But today, I can go to my hometown and sleep with my two eyes closed.

“Yes. It’s as a result of the fight, the gallantry and resilience displayed by the military but now there is a resurgence of Boko Haram, it’s sad to see. To the extent that they attack. Our military formation dislodged them and carted away military equipment. For example, last week, a military base in one of my local dormitories was attacked and about five soldiers were killed.

“And they don’t want to lose the forestation and water. And just two days ago, Boko Haram went to one of my local governments of Kukawa and Baga in particular. In one of the communities, they massacred 23 people and in another community, they massacred 30 people and the main reason why they did that is that there is a faction within Boko Haram.

“That is fascinating. And there is nothing wrong with that. So, the two communities, according to them, they allegedly According to them, they allegedly gave their allegiance to one of the factions of the Boko Haram by way of paying taxes to one of the factions. So the other faction came to these two communities and queried them as to why they should pay allegiance to the other faction and then massacred them.

“So there is a resurgence the activities of Boko Haram and the main reason why this resurgence is when we are able to achieve relative peace in the north east and as a result of the avalanche of bandtry and other security concerns across the nooks and crannies of the country the nigerian military is overstretched and most of the equipments and personnel were redeployed to the northwest.

“Where we have the problem of banditry, Boko Haram took advantage of the vacuum created as a result of the redeployment of military hardware and soldiers to the North-West in order to fight banditry. And that is what brought the resurgence of boko haram in the North East.”