Northern Senators Demand Urgent Security Reinforcement After Adamawa Battalion Attacks

By Jane Salihu

The Northern Senators Forum has called on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to urgently strengthen security operations along the Kopre-Sambisa corridor in Adamawa State following coordinated attacks on two military formations in the area.

The Senators described the attacks on the 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha as an assault not only on Adamawa and the North, but on Nigeria as a whole.

In a statement personally signed by the Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, representing Katsina Central, the lawmakers said the attacks, which occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, resulted in the deaths of three soldiers, a forest guard and civilians.

They said the incidents, which occurred shortly before Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, also involved killings, abductions of women and children, destruction of property and places of worship, as well as the displacement of hundreds of families from their ancestral communities.

The Senators expressed concern over the security situation in communities including Garaha, Dabna, Bangna, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde, Gaya-Dlang, Garkida, Boima and Guyaku in Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.

According to them, the scale and nature of the attacks required a coordinated and proactive security response to prevent insurgents from establishing criminal enclaves in the area.

“We call on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to urgently reinforce security presence in the Kopre-Sambisa corridor and adopt a unified, proactive strategy to flush out these criminal enclaves,” the Senators said.

The Forum also called on residents of the affected communities to provide security agencies with timely and actionable information that could assist in preventing further attacks and strengthening intelligence-led operations.

The lawmakers further urged the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the North East Development Commission, NEDC, to urgently provide relief materials and other forms of assistance to communities and families affected by the attacks.

While commiserating with the families of those killed and displaced, the Senators assured the people of Adamawa State that they would not be abandoned in the face of the security challenge.

“The Northern Senators Forum stands in solidarity with the people of Adamawa State. By our collective efforts, you will not be abandoned to terrorists,” they said.

The Forum condemned what it described as “cowardly acts” and called for sustained collective efforts by security agencies, government and communities to restore security and confidence across the affected corridor.