Many residents of Damboa town, south of Maiduguri, capital of the troubled Borno State, have started fleeing the town because of fear of being attacked by the outlawed Boko Haram sect.
This has caused apprehension and heightened humanitarian crisis in the state capital that already has over 140,000 internally displaced persons from previous attacks.
It will be recalled that the insurgents suffered a heavy casualties of 50 deaths and huge number of injuries when they attacked some military and security formations in the town on Friday night.
Though there were casualties on the side of the security with12 soldiers, including a Colonel and a Divisional Police Officer being among the four policemen believed to have being killed, the people of the town were apprehensive that there might be a reprisal attack from the insurgents which might be heavier than Friday’s attack.
Some of the fleeing residents of the town, who fled to Maiduguri, told journalists that “the insurgents are known to always come back to attack the towns.
“We believe that they will soon come back to Damboa, and we do not want to be caught in the crossfire. So, we have to seek refuge in Maiduguri.”
One of them, who simply identified himself as Bala, said, “I was told by my brother in Maiduguri to leave Damboa, at least, for now. And I just have to go with my family so that we will not fall victims during the next attack.”
Bala also disclosed that there remained a heavy military presence in the town and that it might be difficult for the insurgents to attack now without suffering another heavy defeat. But it is believed by our people that they will come back “sooner than later.”
Speaking to journalists on measures put in place for the welfare of the internally displaced persons from Damboa, the spokesman for the North-Eastern Zonal Office of the National Emergency Management Agency, AbdulKadir Ibrahim, said, “There are adequate provisions in place in Maiduguri to accommodate the IDPs from Damboa.”
He said this was not the first time people displaced by the insurgents from their abode would be trooping to the town and “we have camps at the NYSC orientation camp and other part of the town for those that may be displaced.”
