Sen. Ndume Reveals Why He Feels Safer In Maiduguri Than Abuja

Though Borno State has been thorn by the activities of insurgents, Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume on Thursday said he is more relaxed and at ease when visiting Maiduguri than Abuja.

Maiduguri is the Borno state capital.

Ndume who chairs the Senate Committee on Army while speaking on a Channels Television programme said the insurgents have been prevented from launching attacks on Maiduguri. He acknowledged that the insurgency was still raging in other local governments areas of the state.

Ndume said, “I live in Abuja and also live in Maiduguri. Once I come to Maiduguri, I feel safer than in Abuja, because somebody can knock down your door with a gun. In Maiduguri, we don’t hear of that.

“It is outside Maiduguri where the insurgents are marauding around and attack intermittently. And that’s normal with insurgents, that’s why they are called insurgents, they do hit and run on soft targets.

“In every society, you can’t wipe out criminality completely. In America, there is school shooting. Our own is that we have known terrorists and the army is fighting them.”

Senator Ndume’s interview with the TV station came as President Muhammadu was in Borno on Thursday for an official visit.

The Senator said the president’s visit was to boost the morale of the troops.

“The President went round for six hours – I was tired. He came in 10 o’clock and we were going to see various projects until four o’clock this evening before he left,” he said, praising President Buhari’s stamina.

Ndume commended Buhari for his decision to build 10,000 houses for displaced persons and the provision of financing for a power plant, however, charging him to work the talk of financing army operations.

“We should now walk the talk by accelerating the release of funds on time,” Senator Ndume said. The army now has the numbers,” he said

Speaking on the ISWAP insurgency, Ndume said:

“ISWAP is more deadly, more sophisticated, have international connection, access to military armament and the likes, but the other side of them is that they don’t kill civilians indiscriminately like the Boko Haram and in fact that was what ignited the fight between the ISWAP and the Shekau group,” Ndume said.

“Now the Shekau group has been virtually eliminated, it means that our Nigerian troops are going to face what they know specifically.

“What was frustrating them most was the indiscriminate killing of civilians and other soft targets, destruction of public property by the Boko Haram.”

Ndume added, “But now that the ISWAP is saying we are just going after the military or the armed forces or the security agencies. Our security agencies are up to the task; Our security agencies are up to the task and ready for them. They have engaged themselves and (ISWAP) have suffered serious casualties.”

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