By Usman Abubakar Maiduguri
Following the deployment of drones by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists to attack Marte, Dikwa, Gajibo and Mafa military formations in Borno State, and Katarko in Yobe State, Thursday night, October 23, Governor, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has called on the Federal Government to conduct an immediate and a comprehensive review of the nation’s air safety and defence mechanisms.
Zulum made the call on Friday while on a commiseration visit to Mafa town, where he described the trend as signalling a dangerous escalation in the capabilities of the terrorist group.
The governor, while briefing newsmen, expressed his grave concern over the emergence of this new threat. He stated that the successful use of a drone by the terrorists to target a key military asset exposes a critical vulnerability in Nigeria’s airspace security.
“One thing I want to comment on is the issue of drones. This is frightening. In Dikwa, I was told drones were used. The proliferation of drones, particularly in the hands of non-state actors, is of great concern for the entire country. We have to do something to stop the rampant use of armed drones,” Zulum said.
The governor emphasised that the incident is not just a concern for Borno State but a direct threat to national security. “Our borders need to be strengthened and our airspace needs to be strengthened as well.
This is something that we need to address urgently; this is not an issue confined to Borno alone. This is the right time for the security architecture to thoroughly look into strengthening the capability of our airspace to curtail the use of armed drones by terrorists.”
While commending the Nigerian Armed Forces, Zulum also urged members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information on suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods.
He stated, “We are here to commiserate with the victims over what happened yesterday and build the confidence of our people.”
Zulum said, “Honestly speaking, we have credible intelligence that Mafa will be attacked and have duly been circulated to all relevant authorities. I believe there is need for us to come together, including the state and federal governments, as well as the military high command, to identify the gaps and address them directly.”
“I believe there might be sabotage within that has to be identified and addressed. We don’t have to blame each other; we have to come together and resolve this situation,” the governor stated.
The Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI Theater Command, confirmed the attacks in a statement by its spokesman, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, stating that it neutralised 50 of the terrorists in a swift response.
“Between midnight and 0400 hours, the terrorists launched coordinated assaults on troops’ positions in Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko, situated in Sector 1(Borno State) and Sector 2 (Yobe State) respectively,” the Theater Command said, adding, “In all instances, troops stood firm, fought gallantly, and professionally repelled the attacks, dealing the terrorists a heavy decisive and bloody blow.”
The statement continued: “The coordinated offensive response was supported by air platforms of the Air Component Command of OPHK.
“The precision strikes, coupled with enhanced battlefield awareness provided by Theatre Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, gave troops additional leverage and impetus to respond with overwhelming and lethal force.”
The statement said: “Intelligence further revealed the terrorists who attacked Dikwa and Gajibo manoeuvred from the Cameroon axis, while those that attacked Katarko emerged from the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist enclave.”
Although the exact figures of the civilian casualties in the five attacked locations had not been released as at reporting time, the attacks were mainly on military formations, but there were massive destruction of civilian properties, including trucks loaded with wares such as cement and building materials on the road.
