Boko Haram Siege Gov. Gaidam’s Home Town For Six Hours

Barely three weeks after the complete taking over of the Yobe State capital, Damaturu for many hours in an operation that resulted to the killing over 200 people most of them Police officers and other security agents by the members of Jama’a tus Sunnah Wal Da’a Wati popularly referred to as Boko Haram and precisely two days after President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan assured his audience in France that Boko Haram’s operation will soon become history because of what he believed as the capacity of the Nigerian security forces to contain their threat and killings of innocent souls, the dreaded sect members yesterday night launched another well-coordinated attack in the heart of Geidam Local Government, home town of the Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

The attack in Geidam town also came precisely one week after the Yobe State Government reportedly released a whooping N200million to reorganise security in the state. The N200million did not include over N2.5billion Governor Gaidam reportedly expended in the name of security in the last two years. In Yobe State and under the Gaidam regime billions of naira are allegedly being diverted in the name of security votes, provision of health care and education services that have continued to deteriorate under his watch. The Governor who always travels from one country to another according to a credible source is also using the ministry of works as a conduit pipe of inflating road construction projects that in most cases are not being done or at many instances poorly executed.

The siege on Geidam town by the Boko Haram sect according to an eye witness, Malam Garba Iliya lasted for over six hours without the intervention of the security forces. DESERT HERALD sources reveal that at the end of the well-coordinated operation no casualty as in the case of Damaturu attack was recorded. The sect as further gathered by this paper this time around chose their targets (not human lives) and ensured before the end of the attack they hit all. This was made possible by the near incapacitation of the police to confront them or the SSS to secure prior security report that may be used to halt such surprise attack on innocent civilians and their economic interests.

After a visit to Geidam town this morning (27^th November, 2011) by this reporter to ascertain the damages, DESERT HERALD can exclusively report that the Geidam Police Station that supposed to be secured more than any other place was the first point of call by the Boko Haram sect. Apart from traces of sophisticated bullets in the building, the entire structure was razed down by an inferno ignited by the sect members. DESERT HERALD was told by an eye witness, Iliya that all the police men on duty at the police station when the information reached them ran for their dear lives even before the station was attacked. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Geidam according to Iliya had to find refuge at a house where cattle’s are being kept throughout the operation.

Also as gathered by DESERT HERALD, the First Bank of Nigeria building at Geidam town was completely set ablaze by the Boko Haram members during the operation. Other places that were completely destroyed by fire and gun shots during the Saturday attack in Geidam include the Upper Sharia Court Complex, shops mostly belonging to Igbo traders and three churches. A beer parlour was also among the places that were destroyed.

The Boko Haram sect in a text message to DESERT HERALD has claimed responsibility of the attacks and warns that more of such attacks and on prominent politicians are under way. As at the time of the attack and typical of the Governor’s consistent traveling, while innocent souls are being killed and their properties being destroyed in his state, Ibrahim Gaidam as it happens during the first attack in Damaturu is reportedly in his Maiduguri residence enjoying his weekend while virtually all government Officials that can attend to such emergency security issues were either in Maiduguri too, Potiskum or Kano for the weekend.

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

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