By Stephen Simon
Northern senators have demanded an immediate military offensive to dislodge insurgents from the Kopre-Sambisa corridor in Adamawa State following attacks on two military battalions that left soldiers, a forest guard and civilians dead.
The senators, under the Northern Senators Forum, also called on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to reinforce troops in the area to prevent further attacks and displacement of residents.
The chairman of the forum, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina Central), made the demand in a statement on Sunday.
The attacks on the 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the statement.
Yar’Adua said the attacks affected several communities across Hong and Gombi local government areas and constituted an assault not only on Adamawa and the North, but on Nigeria as a whole in reports culled from Punch Online.
He described the incidents as an assault on Adamawa, the North and the country as a whole, while commiserating with the families of those killed and affected by the attacks.
The affected communities include Garaha, Dabna, Bangna, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde, Gaya-Dlang, Garkida, Boima and Guyaku.
“We are deeply pained by the reports of killings, abductions of women and children, burning of places of worship, destruction of properties, and the tragic displacement of hundreds of families who were forced to flee their ancestral homes on the eve of our nation’s 66th Independence anniversary.
“These attacks, which targeted the 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha, are not only an assault on Adamawa State, but an assault on the North and on the Nigerian nation as a whole.
“We call on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to urgently reinforce security presence in the Kopre-Sambisa corridor and adopt a unified, proactive strategy to flush out these criminal enclaves.
“The Northern Senators Forum stands in solidarity with the people of Adamawa State. By our collective efforts, you will not be abandoned to terrorists. We condemn in the strongest terms these cowardly acts,” Yar’Adua said.
The senators also called on the National Emergency Management Agency and the North East Development Commission to provide relief materials to residents displaced by the attacks.
They urged residents of the affected communities to continue providing security agencies with actionable information to help prevent further attacks.
