Abdurahman Abba Terab represents Bama/ Gamboru Ngala Federal constituency of Borno State. In this interview, Terab speaks on the recent attack on Gamboru, the extension of emergency rule and why he thinks the ‘Civilian JTF’ vigilantes should be recruited into the Nigerian Army. Excerpts:
You visited Gamboru Ngala just a day after the attack by Boko Haram, can you describe what you saw?
The situation in Gamboru Ngala is a very devastating one. I think it is the worst attack we have recorded so far in the whole of the state and particularly in my constituency, which has been the hotbed of insurgency attacks. But what is most worrisome is the fact that there are pattern that this insurgency has developed and these patterns are in situations whereby the Nigerian army while on their duty posts are asked to vacate their posts for one reason or the other. And particularly worrisome was the case of Gamboru Ngala, where not a single one of them was allowed to stay at their duty posts with the notion that they have gone in search of the Chibok abducted girls on the shores of Lake Chad. And even more pertinent was the fact that the soldiers did not go there alone, they even went with the Civilian JTF, who have taken up the responsibility to defend their communities, especially the Gamboru Ngala community. I was confronted by some Nigerian soldiers who complained about orders given to them before the attack. When I presented my motion on matters of urgent national importance, I queried why the military were asked to vacate their posts saying it must be investigated by the military authorities. Because this pattern is becoming too many.
