Senator Ali Ndume has urged military authorities to urgently deploy troops to Kirawa and surrounding border communities in Borno State following a fresh Boko Haram ambush.
The attack, which happened around 3 pm on Friday along the Kirawa–Pulka road, left one member of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) dead while several motorists and passengers sustained injuries.
Ndume, who represents Borno South and is a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said the communities have remained without military presence since last month’s attack on a Cameroonian military base in Kirawa.
He stated: “It is very disheartening to receive a distress call that some armed Boko Haram terrorists laid an ambush on motorists and passengers along the Kirawa-Pulka road yesterday.
“The victims were escorted by a few members of the civilian joint task force as there is no military escort due to the dislodgement of Cameroonian troops based in Kirawa last month.
“Unfortunately, one of our brave civilian JTF members was killed during an exchange of gunfire in the ambush. Many victims are nowhere to be found as I speak.”
The senator revealed that at least six vehicles, including two Volkswagen Golf cars, a bus and three trucks, were burnt during the attack.
He appealed for urgent intervention, stressing that even the deployment of a platoon could help secure lives and property in the troubled area.
“My people are now living in perpetual fear since the dislodgement of Cameroonian troops based in Kirawa last month,” he lamented.