Three Borno LGs Deserted After Recent Boko Haram Attacks -Lawmaker

The recent attacks by members of the Islamic State’s West African Province (ISWAP), a faction of the Boko Haram, has displaced the majority of the residents of a federal constituency of Borno State, a House of Representatives member, Usman Zanna, has said.
Mr Zanna, a first-time legislator who represents Gubio, Kaga, Magumeri federal constituency of Borno State, said more than 20 separate attacks were carried out by the insurgents in the three local government areas of his constituency in October this year. A situation, he said, has displaced most of his constituents from their ancestral abode.
Mr Zanna, who spoke in an exclusive interview with newsmen, said due to increasing pressure mounted on his constituency by ISWAP, he can only access a part of one of the relatively safe local government areas, Kaga.
Kaga is located, largely, along the Maiduguri-Kano highway.
“One cannot but appreciate the efforts that the Nigerian troops are putting on the ground to see that they secure the entire Borno state and especially my constituency,” he said.
“But I will not shy away from saying the fact that my constituency is one of the most challenged by insecurity posed by the ISWAP faction of the Boko Haram. Particularly, Gubio local government was attacked for about 9 times within the month of October alone. Magumeri was severally attacked in the month of September where all government institutions and presence like the secretariat, the government lodge, schools, health facilities, private properties, including my own house was burnt down by the insurgents.”
Mr Zanna also mentioned that Gajigana, one of the large towns in Magumeri Local Government Area “was attacked more than six times in the month of October this year.”
He said though the military was able to repel and “kill many of the insurgents” the attacks came with a huge casualty on the civil populace.