Bama, a major town in Borno State where several attacks of the Islamic terrorist group, BokoHaram, have been launched requires no less than N3.5 billion for reconstruction, according toAbdurrahman Terab, who represents the area at the House of Representatives.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Terab, who represents the Bama/Dikwa/Gamboru-Ngala people, said the state government cannot be left alone with the burden of rebuilding the crisis-torn town as it would gulp up a large chunk of the state’s resources.
He therefore called for assistance from the federal government and relevant stakeholders.
The town which used to be home to about 500,000 persons has now become deserted, owing to the several attacks that have left dozens dead and many others maimedor scarred for life.
In a most recent attack launched in the town last month, about 200 heavily armed members of theBoko Haram sect arrived in buses and pickup trucks and carried out one of the most coordinated strikes in the town, first hitting the army barracks and the police station before breaking into the town’s prison.
About 55 people, including 22 police officers, 14 prison officials, two soldiers and four civilians were killed in the assault that also freed over 100 prison inmates according to military sources.
The attack has been described as one of the insurgents most brazen and its deadliest single strike since a 2009 uprising.