The Federal Government on Thursday raised the alarm that the Boko Haram
sect may have started recruiting and training new recruits.
The Coordinator of the National Information Centre on the War against
Terrorism, Mr. Mike Omeri, raised the alarm at a press briefing in Abuja,
citing intelligence reports.
Omeri said, “In the general effort to contain acts of insurgency in the
North-East and secure the entire area for the forthcoming general elections,
the centre wishes to alert the general public on very recent intelligence
reports which indicate a considerable movement of Boko Haram recruits from such
locations as Geidam, Mairi and Dupcha (all in Borno State) to training camps
within the general area.
“Previous major attacks by insurgents, including the siege to Bama and
Monguno military bases, were preceded by such massing up of fighters in
training camps within the proposed targets.
“This recent development which points to the same direction has also
been alluded to by the Boko Haram group in its recent boast about having a
30,000 to 50,000-strong force to disrupt elections in Maiduguri.”
Omeri, however, assured that the Nigerian military forces had fully
mobilised and deployed against the insurgents whom he claimed were being chased
and roundly subdued.