By Haruna Mohammed Salisu

The Bauchi State Government had, on Monday, said four local governments in the state had witnessed the influx of refugees from Geidam, a neighbouring Yobe Community that witnessed heavy shellings from Boko Haram insurgents in recent weeks.

The Secretary to the state government, Sabiu Baba, who raised the alarm while briefing Journalists after an emergency Security Council Meeting chaired by Governor Bala Mohammed, named the LGAs to include Zaki, Dambam Darazo, and Gamawa.

Although the government has denied media reports that the insurgents have already infiltrated the four LGAs of the state, The ICIR had examined porous border communities in the four LGAs the insurgents might exploit to enter Bauchi State.

The most volatile LGA among the four, which were reported to have witnessed an influx of IDPs from Yobe, according to multiple sources who spoke with The ICIR, is Gamawa LGA. The LGA is 259km away from Bauchi, the seat of government.  Gamawa LGA shares borders with two LGAs of Yobe: Jakusko and Nangere LGAs. Gamawa communities that share borders with the two LGAs include Gololo, Zindiwa, Gauya and Buduwa.

Mohammed Tukur, a resident of Gamawa, told The ICIR that elements of Boko Haram are likely to explore the porous borders in these communities to infiltrate the LGA “because the neighbouring villages are mostly agrarian communities with no heavy security surveillance.”

In Dambam  LGA of Bauchi State, multiple sources have identified five porous border communities and routes the insurgents could freely navigate to Bauchi State.

Abdullah Sale, a resident, told The ICIR that the Dagauda district, which houses Jalam, Jarmai, Lamba and Janda communities, shares borders with Nangere LGA of Yobe.

The communities, The ICIR learned, could provide an easy passage to Boko Haram fighters because of the light forest and vast farmlands notorious for poor security surveillance.

“The forest is more pronounced in Jalam community because it has a lot of farmlands, so the insurgents could have a safe haven in that area if they want to operate,” Saleh said.

In Darazo LGA, Lanzai district is the major town with a relatively light forest that shares borders with Yobe, where the insurgents may have a free entry route into Bauchi State.

In Zaki LGA of the state, Lobio and Bursali communities are the possible routes the insurgents could infiltrate Bauchi state.

“They are the communities in Zaki that share borders with Jakusko LGA and are mostly porous because of the forest in the area with only a few farmlands,” a resident told The ICIR.