There is apprehension in Gombi, Adamawa State over 30 bombs said to have been dumped in the area by the men of the Nigerian Air Force.
It was gathered that the bombs were dumped three days ago because they had expired and therefore inactive. Soldiers deployed in the area and vigilante members were said to have surrounded the area out of fear that the weapons could fall into the hands of insurgents. One of the soldiers however said that they later pulled out of the area when they were alerted that the bombs were inactive. But an indigene of the community told one of our correspondents that they were not convinced that the bombs would not go off.
He said, “As we are talking, we are still agitated because we are not convinced by the explanation that the bombs are useless and would not be taken away by the Boko Haram for other missions. “When the items were discovered, the soldiers and our vigilante members were called in but the soldiers left when the Air Force explained that the bombs were expired and useless. “But the vigilante members have refused to relax their watch over the area because they feel the Boko Haram people could steal and use them against us. We are also of the opinion that the bombs could go off.”
Meanwhile, only Monguno out of the several communities liberated from Boko Haram over a week remains accessible. Most of the towns largely remain “a no go area” as the military keep watch over them even as residents that fled in the wake of their capture are still afraid to return.
The Chairman of Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State, Ali Galgal, paid a visit to Monguno on Sunday. It was gathered that Galgal was in the town to assess the level of destruction that took place during the short reign of the Boko Haram insurgents. One of those that visited the area with the chairman but who pleaded that his name should not be in print, told one of Punch correspondents in Maiduguri that “the chairman presented food items to rescued persons.”
He added, “Alhaji Galgal urged them to consider what happened to them as part of destiny. He asked them to pray for a lasting peace in Borno State and the country in general. “The chairman, who went from street to street in Monguno town, found decomposed bodies scattered everywhere. He also found dead bodies in some houses and government structures. “It was also discovered that the insurgents successful looted many houses and business centres.”
