PANA
Lagos, Nigeria- Some 3,000 residents of Nigeria’s northern Borno state, regarded as the spiritual base of the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram, have fled the state for neighbouring Adamawa for fear of attacks by the sect.
The local media Monday quoted Adamawa State Commissioner of Border Integration Hamza Bello as announcing the figures.
Bello said the Borno residents, who are currently taking refuge at the Madagali local government area of Adamawa State, fled their communities in Borno in the last one week, following intense attacks by the sect.
He said Adamawa State government had constituted an ad hoc committee to look into the plight of the displaced.
“The state is now concerned about the influx of displaced persons that have continued to throng the state from Gwoza and Bama areas of Borno.
“Following the influx of displaced people from Borno State, Adamawa State Government set up an ad hoc committee which has started registering displaced persons with the hope of providing IDP (Internally-Displaced Persons) camps for their settlement.
PANA reported that Adamawa and Borno are two of the three states in which President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency in May to check the activities of the rampaging sect, which has killed over 3,000 since launching its violent campaign in 2009. Yobe is the third state.
Despite the massive deployment of troops to the three states and the successes the government said they have achieved, Boko Haram has continued to launch deadly attacks, especially in remote areas of Borno.
The sect said it is campaigning to establish an Islamic state in secular Nigeria, among other stated objectives of its violent campaign.
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