B/HARAM OVERRUNS 5 ADAMAWA LOCAL GOVT AREAS-- NGILARI •GOVERNOR REQUESTS MORE TROOPS

Adamawa State Governor Bala Ngilary
says Boko Haram insurgents have
overrun five local government areas of the
state.
He said this in an interview with State
House journalists today after the flag-off
ceremony of the National Power Sector
Apprenticeship Scheme (NAPSAS) held at
the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
Ngilari, who lamented that terrorist
attacks had become a very big challenge
for his state, asked the Federal
Government to deplore more troops there.
Describing the security situation in the
state as very daisy and worrisome, the
governor said though his administration
was trying its best to manage it, a lot of
interventions were needed.
"The security situation in Adamawa is
very daisy right now, and we're only
trying to do our best to manage the
situation. We're praying that it'll improve,
but it's really something to worry about",
he said.
Asked how many local government areas
have been overrun by the insurgents,
Ngilari said: "I can talk of my entire
senatorial district. Mubi (in Adamawa
North Senatorial District). Five local
governments have been overrun; Gombi,
and I just got a report perhaps the
outskirts of Shanli. There is a semblance
of movement (of terrorists) in that area.
Really, we need a lot of interventions. We
need to move more troops to secure the
state. Really, it is a big challenge".
On the alleged take-over of the hometown
of the Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal
Alex Badeh by terrorists, the governor
said the insurgency should not be reduced
to the take-over of Badeh's town.
"We shouldn't reduce this issue of the
insurgency to simply the take-over of the
house of the defence chief. There are a
whole lot of things that make up the
challenge of insecurity. What about the
problem of unemployment? It's a whole
long story. We don't just reduce it to the
take-over of the house of the defence
chief. I think it's more than that.
Absolutely, it's a challenge".
He said the security challenge should not
be left to the government alone, asking
the citizens to provide timely information
that could assist the security agencies.
"We look up to God. God is there, there is
nothing impossible for Him. We'll do our
best, but it's not something we should
leave in the hand of government.
Everybody has a role to play in terms of
giving out information timely, in terms of
convincing people involved. They
(insurgents) live with us, they're not from
planet mass. They're part and parcel of
the society.
On how soon he thought the insurgency
would be over, Ngilari said: I believe that
Nigeria will really overcome, but I don't
know the time frame. Anything that affects
any part of Nigeria affects the rest. We
must all see how we can tame this
monster".