Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has expressed sadness over the killing of 11 security officers in his convoy during an ambush by Boko Haram terrorists.
Zulum reacted to the incident which occurred on Friday through a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau.
In the statement issued on Saturday, Gusau said those killed included eight policemen and three civilian JTF members.
They were ambushed on their way to Baga as security back-ups in reconstruction efforts.
The statement said the governor was in Baga from Thursday till Friday to supervise efforts to return displaced residents of the area back home.
The statement read: “Governor Babagana Umara Zulum is saddened by this unfortunate carnage. He shares the grief of families of these 11 priceless heroes to whom Borno shall remain grateful.
“The governor prays for the repose of their souls and urges all stakeholders to remain committed to ongoing peace building efforts.
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“Zulum is of the opinion that we must continue to keep hope alive even in the face of tribulations and believe that with sustained efforts and prayers, Borno will eventually regain peace.
“The situation facing us is a tough one but we must choose between doing something which gives us some hope and doing nothing which will leave us more vulnerable to Boko Haram’s ultimate wish to takeover Borno and bring it under their sovereign brutal administration.”
According to the statement, the governor attended Baga’s first Jumu’ah prayers in nearly two years.
Baga town was displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents 21 months ago, with most of the residents taking refuge in Monguno and Maiduguri.
