Northern Senators demand military reinforcements in Adamawa following attacks

By Haruna Salami and Musa Baba Adamu

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has called on the Federal Government and the Defence Headquarters to urgently strengthen military presence along the Kopre-Sambisa corridor in Adamawa State following a series of deadly attacks by insurgents on military formations in the area.

The lawmakers made the demand after insurgents attacked the 226 Battalion in Garkida and the 232 Battalion in Garaha, Adamawa State, in separate incidents during the week.

In a statement personally signed by the Chairman of the forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, representing Katsina Central, the senators described the attacks as a direct assault not only on Adamawa State but on the entire northern region and Nigeria.

The attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of three soldiers, a forest guard and civilians, while women and children were among those abducted.

Several communities also suffered destruction of property and displacement.

The senators expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in communities across Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas, including Garaha, Dabna, Bangna, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde, Gaya-Dlang, Garkida, Boima and Guyaku.

They urged the Federal Government, through the Defence Headquarters, to adopt a coordinated and proactive security strategy capable of dismantling insurgent enclaves operating along the Kopre-Sambisa axis.

“We call on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to urgently reinforce security presence in the Kopre-Sambisa corridor and adopt a unified, proactive strategy to flush out these criminal enclaves,” the senators said.

The forum also appealed to residents of the affected communities to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and actionable intelligence that could help prevent further attacks and facilitate the apprehension of the perpetrators.

The senators further called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to urgently provide relief materials and other forms of assistance to families displaced by the attacks.

Expressing solidarity with the people of Adamawa, the lawmakers said the affected communities would not be abandoned in their struggle against terrorism.

“We are deeply pained by the reports of killings, abductions of women and children, burning of places of worship, destruction of properties, and the tragic displacement of hundreds of families who were forced to flee their ancestral homes,” they said.

The Northern Senators Forum condemned the attacks in the strongest terms and called for collective action by the government, security agencies and local communities to prevent a recurrence.