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The Urgent Need for FG Rehabilitation Damboa Road and Enhanced Military Support To End Insecurity
The Urgent Need for FG Rehabilitation Damboa Road and Enhanced Military Support To End Insecurity
By: Zagazola Makama
The recent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on the Maiduguri–Damboa road, which tragically resulted in the deaths of eight innocent passengers and left 21 others injured, underscores a critical issue: the deteriorating condition of this vital highway exacerbates the threats posed by insurgents in Borno State. This incident, which occurred near Komala Village, highlights the dangers of traversing this route without military escort and emphasizes the urgent need for the federal government to prioritize the rehabilitation of the road.
The Maiduguri–Damboa road serves as a crucial link between Maiduguri and the southern regions of Borno State and has long been susceptible to terrorist attacks. Its proximity to key insurgent hideouts and heavily forested areas, which serve as operational bases for Boko Haram and ISWAP, makes it a target for these groups. For years, insurgents have strategically planted IEDs along this route, targeting both military convoys and civilian vehicles. The road’s deterioration has further facilitated these deadly attacks.
What was once a one-hour journey now stretches to nearly six hours due to the poor road conditions. Potholes and crumbling infrastructure not only impede travel but also create ideal conditions for insurgents to plant explosives undetected. This situation was tragically illustrated on April 12, when a passenger bus struck an IED along the road, leading to devastating loss of life. Though, they traveled without escort, which even exposed to more danger.
Various security stakeholders been vocal about the road’s deteriorating state. insurgents have exploited its poor condition and with the road which continue to remained in disrepair, it has become a prime target for insurgents seeking to instill fear and disrupt transportation.
The lack of adequate infrastructure in the region poses risks not only to civilians but also to military personnel stationed there. While the Nigerian military continues to combat Boko Haram and ISWAP, it operates under increasingly challenging conditions, with poor road networks complicating troop movement and supply deliveries. The state of the roads significantly impacts the military’s ability to maintain security and conduct essential operations effectively.
In addition to infrastructural challenges, IEDs represent a major threat to military operations. Insurgents have become adept at planting these devices in strategic locations, and the deterioration of roads such as Maiduguri–Damboa enhances their capacity to carry out attacks. The military’s ability to execute operations, particularly in clearing insurgent strongholds, is severely hampered by the persistent threat of IEDs. These explosives pose an existential risk to troops and hinder progress in combating insurgency.
The Nigerian military, while striving to perform under difficult conditions, urgently requires more sophisticated equipment to counter the IED threat. Mines-resistant vehicles (MRVs) and other anti-IED technologies are essential for providing troops with the protection needed during operations. These vehicles are specifically designed to withstand the impact of explosive devices, offering soldiers much-needed security while patrolling volatile regions. With the right equipment, troops would be better positioned to neutralize insurgents, safely clear IEDs, and respond to threats with greater precision.
The federal government must prioritize the acquisition of advanced mines-resistant technologies, such as MRVs, to safeguard the lives of military personnel. In addition to these vehicles, investing in mine detection systems, bomb disposal units, and advanced surveillance technologies will enable the military to conduct operations with greater ease and efficiency. Equipping troops with these tools would significantly enhance their safety, improve operational success, and provide a more effective counter-insurgency strategy in light of the growing IED threat.
Governor Zulum has called for enhanced surveillance and more effective clearance operations to secure the road. He also emphasized the importance of regular route clearance patrols and the use of mine detection vehicles (MDVs) to neutralize threats. The federal government should prioritize the rehabilitation of this vital route, which serves not only as a lifeline for the people of Borno but also as a critical corridor for military operations.
As the situation currently stands, traveling along the Maiduguri–Damboa road without proper security escort remains perilous. Until the road is adequately rehabilitated and consistently monitored, both civilians and military personnel must exercise extreme caution. The journey that once took an hour can now extend to six hours, leaving passengers and military forces exposed to deadly attacks. Urgent action is required to ensure that the road is safe for both the local population and the troops tasked with their protection.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region
The Urgent Need for FG Rehabilitation Damboa Road and Enhanced Military Support To End Insecurity
VP Shettima commissions Borno’s 375 tractors refurbished by NASENI
… 351 farm implements delivered by Zulum, commissioned
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has commissioned the 375 tractors belonging to Borno State Government which have been fully refurbished by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) under the National Assets Recovery, Refurbishment and Redeployment Project (Asset Restore Project).
The event was held on Sunday at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanisation Authority (BOSAMA) headquarters in Maiduguri.
VP Shettima commended Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, stating, “My greatest commendation to the Governor of Borno State for his commitment to providing leadership in the state.”
Vice President Shettima also praised NASENI for its commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s agricultural productivity through innovative infrastructure support under its asset restoration programme.
“We have seen NASENI at work, playing critical roles in our interventions in compressed natural gas (CNG) retrofitting, renewable energy technologies, and agricultural mechanisation. We are reminded more than ever that we can’t create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems unless we localise global technologies and relevant agencies must be supported to point us towards a stable nation and a promising future,” the Vice President said.
Speaking earlier, Governor Zulum acknowledged the Vice President’s numerous interventions in the agricultural mechanisation of Borno during his tenure as Governor of Borno State from 2011 to 2019.
He said, “Let me bring to the kind notice of this gathering that these tractors were procured by my predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima, when he was the Governor of Borno State. He procured 1000 tractors and their implements.”
The Governor added, “He did not stop at that, but he also procured 250 units each of groundnut diggers, fertiliser broadcasters, rotovators, bailers and 25 units of combined harvesters. At a time when it would have been politically safe to focus only on short-term interventions, he chose instead to make a long-term investment in the future of our people.”
Speaking separately, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari and the Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Khali Sulieman Halilu, commended Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for the leadership he has provided.
… 351 farm implements delivered by Zulum, commissioned
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima also commissioned 351 units of implements procured by the administration of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
The implements according to Borno State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engr Bawu Musami, comprise 121 units of disc ploughs, 180 units of disc harrows, grain threshers, rotary slashers and 6-cubic-meter diesel tankers.
VP Shettima commissions Borno’s 375 tractors refurbished by NASENI
Three bandits killed, one arrested alive by security forces in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Atleast three suspected armed bandits were killed while one arrested and two motorcycles recovered during an ambush by local vigilante operatives attached to the troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA in Maru Local Government Area of the state.
Zagazola Makama gathered from reliable sources that the incident occurred on June 6 at about 3:00 p.m. when four suspected bandits riding on two motorcycles were intercepted by members of the local vigilante group, known as Yansakai, while moving between Yan Mangwarora, Mallamawa, and Kurar Mota villages, all in Dansadau District of Maru LGA.
The sources said that the vigilantes engaged the suspects in a confrontation, leading to the neutralisation of three of them, arrest of one, and recovery of two motorcycles used by the bandits.
The arrested bandits was handed over to the police while the corpses of the slain bandits were deposited at General
Hospital, Dansadau.
Three bandits killed, one arrested alive by security forces in Zamfara
Zulum donates N100m to wounded soldiers; families of fallen heroes
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has donated N100 million to aid the families of slain soldiers and those wounded in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the northeast region.
The donation was made on Saturday at an Eid El-Kabir Sallah luncheon hosted jointly by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, held at Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri.
Zulum, while presenting a cheque of N100 million to the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdussalam Abubakar, stated that each of the soldiers wounded in action would be given N500,000, while the remaining amount would be distributed among families left by the soldiers killed in action in the ongoing fight against insurgency.
The presentation of the cheque was witnessed by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar and the Force Commander, Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Major General Godwin Mutkut.
Other prominent personalities present include a member of the House of Representatives, Engr. Bukar Talba, Secretary to Borno State Government, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, Head of Service, Dr Muhammad Ghuluze, Ag Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mallumbe, Borno APC Chairman, Hon. Bello Ayuba, among many senior government officials.
Zulum commended the resilience and patriotism of the Nigerian Armed Forces, emphasising that their sacrifices should never be forgotten. He said: “Your commitment on the frontlines, often under extreme conditions and far from your families, is not lost on us. We remain eternally grateful for your service and will never take your sacrifices for granted.”
The Governor also assured the military leadership of his continued support, stating that: “Borno State will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Nigerian Army and all security agencies in the fight against insurgency and rebuilding our communities for a peaceful and prosperous future.”
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VP Shettima commissions Borno’s 375 tractors refurbished by NASENI
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