Boko Haram Attacks In Borno Getting Worse – Gov Shettima Raises Alarm

Boko Haram Attacks In Borno Getting Worse – Gov Shettima Raises Alarm

Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, has raised an alarm that the security situation in the state is getting worse.

Speaking at an extraordinary security meeting at Government House,
Maiduguri on Tuesday January 1st, Governor Shettima says as much as he
wants to sound optimistic, the reality on ground is that Borno state is
facing serious security challenges. 

“Your royal highnesses and our elders, I will like to start by saying
that the aim of convening this important meeting is not to pass blames
or to pass any kind of verdict on our security agencies. Crunch talks in
Maiduguri today over Baga.

I think the most inhuman way to go is to gather and condemn those who
are putting their lives on the line and giving their lives in efforts
to find peace. We are principally here as a family, as a people all
affected by the situation in Borno State, to discuss suggestions that
will hopefully contribute to combined ongoing efforts towards addressing
the problem.

For seven years, we held our regular security council meetings
to consult with some of the participants here. However, I never for once
convened an extraordinary meeting of this nature because, frankly
speaking, I was avoiding a sort of dramatisation or being sensational
about our challenges in Borno State. Without being insensitive to the
realities of our situation, I feel deeply pained whenever Borno is being
discussed on the basis of helpless weakness. I prefer to assume a
position of strength; a position of normalcy and a character of being
incurably optimistic. My greatest wish was and still is, not to bequeath
Boko Haram challenges and IDP camps to my successor. We wanted to, and
still want to get Borno fully back to normal days. Sometimes, I
unconsciously find myself boasting that Borno is safer than Lagos. I
simply feel very bad to sound pessimistic about Borno. I so much believe
in optimism.

Of course, I know that in governance, responding to some situations
demand a combination of being both optimistic and realistic.  The
reality is that while so much was achieved by our gallant military men
and women, we are today faced with serious challenges in Borno State.

But then, these challenges should strengthen our abiding faith and
resolve to continually do whatever we can, in support of our military,
the police, the DSS, our Civilian JTF, all para-military agencies and
political authorities at the federal level, to end the Boko Haram
insurgency”

 His statement comes few weeks after Boko Haram members allegedly attacked Baga.