Many residents of Geidam town in Yobe State no longer have network on their phones as Boko Haram fighters have razed the masts of Airtel and MTN in the town.
This is just as a member representing Geidam, Yunusari, Bursari Federal Constituency of Yobe State at the National Assembly, Hon. Lawan Shettima has stated Boko Haram fighters have taken over Geidam.
He said his constituents have been at the mercy of Boko Haram in the last 24 hours.
Geidam is the home town of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the immediate former governor of the state, Ibrahim Geidam.
The attackers first struck on Friday evening but they took cover following air strikes from the military.
Ali Maina, one of the residents, said after the Air Force jet which hovered around the town left, the insurgents returned.
He added that “they wreaked havoc on the town this morning. We can see buildings burning and they forced several shops opened carting away food items.
“We are more frightened this time around because we don’t know their mission. We are cut off from both MTN and Airtel services obviously they have tampered with the system.
“We are currently at the mercy of God praying for protection, they have more than 15 Hilux vehicles. Security forces need to do more to tackle this attacks.”
Meanwhile, the Police spokesman, Yobe State command, Dungus Abdulkarim, has confirmed the attack.
He said letters with a mixture of both Arabic and Hausa inscriptions, advocating the establishment of Islamic State, were dropped all over the town by the insurgents.
The insurgents had attacked the town in February and abducted three officers of the Nigerian Customs service.
The Nation reports Shettima as saying that he can authoritatively confirm the insurgents were in control of Geidam town.
He alleged the insurgents have been moving around the town unchallenged, destroying government facilities and private properties.
He said they have also burnt down telecommunication masts in the town.
The lawmaker alleged the Army in Geidam refused to act on credible information provided ahead of Friday’s attack but allowed the insurgents to invade Geidam unchallenged.
According to him: “My people are helpless, you can’t imagine that as a full Nigerian citizen you can be at the mercy of Boko Haram for the past 24 hours and nobody cares to do anything about it.
“They will send jet that will go and bomb innocent people instead of the Boko Haram. This is the kind of thing that is going on now.
“The military formation that is stationed there does not care to react to what is happening or to counter them.
“The military are sitting at the western side of the town while Boko Haram are busy moving around town destroying government structures and other things belonging to our people, attacking or harassing innocent people sent out of their houses.
“The only word I can use here is that people are helpless in their motherland. This is very terrible.
“As legislators, we are really disturbed especially when money is appropriated and budgeted for them but yet when this kind of thing happens, they will be complaining of lack of weapons to defend themselves talk less of the majority of Nigeria.”
