Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) has called for immediate deployment of military personnel to Kirawa and surrounding communities in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno, following a deadly Boko Haram ambush on Friday.
The attack, which occurred at about 3 p.m. along the Kirawa–Pulka road, resulted in the death of a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), while several others sustained injuries.
Eyewitnesses said the insurgents set six vehicles ablaze, including two Volkswagen Golf cars, one bus and three trucks. Many of the victims reportedly fled into nearby bushes to escape the attack.
Ndume, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, expressed concern over the absence of security forces in Kirawa, following the recent withdrawal of Cameroonian troops from the area.
“It is very disheartening that I received a distress call that Boko Haram terrorists ambushed motorists and passengers along the Kirawa–Pulka road yesterday,” Ndume said on Saturday.
He noted that the victims were being escorted by local vigilantes due to the lack of military presence in the area.
“Unfortunately, one of our brave CJTF members lost his life in the ambush, while many victims remain unaccounted for,” he said.
The senator commiserated with the family of the deceased and called for urgent military intervention.
“I appeal to the military authorities to deploy troops, even if it is a platoon, to safeguard Kirawa and its people, who are currently living in fear,” he said.
Ndume commended the efforts of Nigerian troops in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP, but said more needed to be done to secure remote communities.
Kirawa, which shares a border with the Republic of Cameroon, has experienced heightened insecurity since Cameroonian forces were dislodged in a recent attack on their military base.
