THE Police in Bauchi State have denied infiltration of Boko Haram terrorist group in four local government areas of the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer Ahmad Wakil on Tuesday over reports that Zaki, Dambam, Darazo, and Gamawa local government areas were under Boko Haram threat.
Wakil said the report attributed to the Bauchi State Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Sabiu Baba after an emergency Security Council meeting in the state on Monday contained an ‘erroneous narrative.’
“We therefore wish to correct that the erroneous narrative being peddled around is not a true account of what transpired at the Security Council meeting, neither is it the reality on ground as being portrayed to reflect the position of the State Government,” Wakil said.
According to the Police, the meeting was convened to forestall the influx of fleeing persons from Gaidam and Kanam, Yobe State, after Boko Haram attacks on the towns.
He added that the SSG only made reference to “a noticeable influx of some suspicious visitors including some criminal elements found to have stolen telecommunication equipment.”
The Police said that five suspected criminals and those who stole Mikano generators from Geidam and were heading for Kano State through Bauchi had been arrested through a joint operation with the military.
“Also, two Suspects Felix Chukwe ‘m’ and Chinedu Uche, all of Imo State origin, were arrested in connection to the crime. The suspects were arrested and the vehicle impounded, investigated and profiled,” the statement read in part.
He added that the Bauchi State Police Command would continue to ensure adequate security of lives and property.
During a media briefing on Monday, Baba had said there were high implications for the four local governments in Bauchi State sharing borders with Boko Haram-infiltrated Geidam community in Yobe State.
“Of course, that will put a lot of strain on our facilities and resources, and considering the kind of movement out of Boko Haram activities, the security implications there are also very high.
“ The meeting today was to discuss the implications of that, identify the security threats and how to contain them from the Bauchi side,” Baba had said.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94