Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State
By JOHN ONAH (Abuja) and SADIQ ABUBAKAR (Maiduguri) –
There were conflicting reports on Sunday of an alleged Boko Haram Terrorists’ attack on the convoy of Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum Zulum with some soldiers and two others said to have been killed.
According to the first report, the Boko Haram terrorists were said to on ambushed an advance team of governor on Saturday at Ja’alta along Gajiram to Monguno Road, killing many, including members of the civilia joint task force (CJTF).
The insurgents attacked the convoy on their way to Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area as a security detail to Zulum, who is is spending two days with other government officials in the town to distribute food items to newly resettled displaced persons.
Quoting a source knowledgeable with the development, the reports said the governor had earlier flown by helicopter to the town with some top government officials.
“We were attacked by the gunmen who came with about six trucks and seven motorcycles. We engaged them but they have already destabilised.
“We had no option than to abort the trip and returned back to Maiduguri with corpses of the deceased. About seven people died immediately but two of my colleagues (soldiers) died from gunshot injuries when we got back to Maiduguri,” a soldier attached to the governor was quoted to have told an online medium, SaharaReporters.
Saturday’s attack was said to be the third attempt on the governor in Baga in three months, the first two having taken place along the Baga Highway in September.
Zulum’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau, however denied that there was an attack on the governor’s convoy or security aidee.
Gusau, in a statement on Sunday, described as false the report claiming there was another attack by Boko Haram on the convoy of Governor Zulum.
“There was neither an attack on the governor directly nor on any component of his convoy,” Gusau said.
According to him, Governor Zulum traveled to Baga, spent a day supervising the distribution of food and other relief to thousands of residents and returned to Maiduguri safely with no hitch whatsoever.
The rest of the statement reads:
“For the record, we write to quickly clarify that contrary to a ‘breaking news’ by an online news medium, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum was neither attacked nor was any component of his convoy attacked by anyone.
“The governor was actually in Baga from Saturday to Sunday, during which he supervised the distribution of food and cash support to 5,000 residents and he assessed major reconstruction and resettlement efforts with no hitch whatsoever.
“While we continually accord respect to all media organizations as supportive partners, we importantly clarify that we have no knowledge of the breaking news” in question.
“As members of the public can testify, it is the culture and principle of Professor Zulum to say things as they are, and in this case, it is what it is- no attack whatsoever. Any media organization that wants further clarification may wish to contact the Nigerian military. “