Boko Haram
militants are in charge of at least 25 towns and villages in northern region.as
claimed by Roman Catholic Bishop, Oliver Dashe. He gave a warning of a deteriorating
security situation as he claimed that 10 towns in Yobe state, the same number
in Borno and five in Adawama had fallen to the rebels over the last month, as
they seek to carve out a hardline Islamic state.
International
assistance was now required to tackle the problem, he told the Nigerian
Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the southern city of Warri, Delta state, on
Wednesday.
“As a nation we are almost losing this
battle because it is spinning out of control,” he added.
“The earlier we come together as Nigerians,
forgetting our religious, ethnic, regional, cultural and ideological
differences to face this menace the better for us.”
Nigeria’s
government has denied losing territory to Boko Haram and the military has
dismissed as “empty” the militants’ claim last month that one captured town was
part of an Islamic caliphate.
Independent
verification that militants have overrun towns and villages is hard to come by
because communications have been destroyed.
Most reports
have come from the thousands of residents who have fled their homes to go to
other towns and cities in the northeast and wider region.
Military top
brass this month admitted that the militants’ territorial ambitions were a
threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty.
A series of
counter-attacks have been launched in recent days, which they claim have
successfully recaptured towns.
Dashe said
Boko Haram-related violence had devastated the Diocese of Maiduguri, which he
represents and covers all 3 northeast states.
0 Comments