By Sadiq Abubakar
The elders and leaders of Liman Kara border community of Gwoza local government area of Borno state yesterday petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, over the recent Boko Haram attacks in the area which claimed several lives and property worth over N1 billion.
The petition was jointly signed by the District Head, Alhaji Abdulkareem Wahab, Ward Head of Liman Kara, Mr. Zephaniah Tada, and three community representatives, John Mark Hodo, James Dauda Chihwa, and Aliyu Usman Kutho.
It said the attacks had become inevitable in the protection of the border community against Boko Haram’s incessant attacks and killings.
Representatives of the community alleged that the commandant of National Mobile Police Training School, Liman Kara, connived with Boko
Haram insurgents to attack and kill members of the community for four hours without arresting anyone.
The destruction of property, according to Hodo and Kutho, could have been higher, if soldiers from Adamawa state had not come to their rescue on Saturday night.
The petition also read in part: “The Boko Haram gunmen stormed our village through the Sambisa Forest through Jaje road that links National Mobile Police Training School. They operated from 1am to 5am of Saturday, destroying houses, vehicles and our local Church near the District Head’s residence, and went back into the forest unhurt. If soldiers from Adamawa state did not intervene, the Boko Haram insurgents could have killed many of us.
The community’s fears and worries, according to the petition, were how the commandant of Mobile Police Training School treated the villagers in protecting their lives and property.
“We don’t know whether the commandant is working with Boko Haram or protecting lives and property of Nigerians in Borno state.
“The gunmen came into the village through the training school, and went back through the same route, while 200 mobile policemen are in the school premises. The commandant directed the policemen not to ambush the Boko Haram insurgents, as they did not come to attack the school or its students.
“When the community is in distress or fear, the police are supposed to protect us, just like when the school was in need of help or assistance from members of this community. This Mobile Police Training School has been in existence for 32 years in Liman Kara, but the Commander has been assisting Boko Haram; it is necessary for the policemen to leave us alone without the school.”
