Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has been told that 18 persons were killed in terrorist attack on Damasak earlier in the week.
The governor, who was on hand to welcome thousands of people that fled the town in the wake of the attack, was also informed by the residents of the town lthat 21 other persons were injured, with several property destroyed.
Zulum, who was in Damasak from Thursday to Friday, after the town was attacked on Tuesday, by Boko Haram insurgents, was accompanied by Senator Abubakar Kyari representing Borno North, who hails from Damasak, and some other prominent politicians from the area and top officials of the state government.
The governor as part of measures to bring normalcy back to the town, held operational meeting with the army and leadership of other security forces in the area.
He also presented 12 security vehicles which included an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and 11 patrol vehicles, to boost the fight against insurgents in the area.
It should be noted that Zulum spending the night with his entourage at Damasak is to end the speculation that the town was occupied by the terrorist group.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Isa Gusau, Zulum during his stay in Damasak had interactions with soldiers and others forces involved in counter insurgency operations.
The governor also interacted with residents, thousands who had fled to border communities in Niger Republic returning on Friday, he empathized with them and assessed destructions caused by insurgents.
He confirmed from the residents, that 18 people had died, 21 injured, even as he saw several property destroyed.
Among the destroyed property were the UN humanitarian hub, private residential houses, a police station, palace of the district head, a primary healthcare centre, and the GSM Village.
Insurgents attacked the town with three gun-trucks, residents told the governor.
Tuesday’s attack on Damasak was the sixth in two weeks, by the Boko Haram/ISWP groups, residents lamented to the governor
Zulum assured them of robust measures being put in place to avert future attacks on Damasak town, by the insurgents, and he
directed the strengthening of agricultural activities in Damasak.
Damasak, headquarter of Mobbar local government area in northern Borno, is located on the fringes of Lake Chad, and it shares border with communities in Niger Republic.
The town used to be producer of vegetables which were sold in markets within Nigeria, Niger Republic and other neighboring countries.
Boko Haram had occupied Damasak in 2014 as one of their caliphates, and from the look of things the terrorist group seems interested in the town, apparently to raise funds from its agriculture wealth and for land routes to Niger Republic.
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