Following the declaration of a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, some members of the fundamentalist Boko Haram sect have started fleeing to neighbouring Gombe, Bauchi and Jigawa states, SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports.

On Thursday, members of the sect attacked two police stations and four banks in Daura, Katsina State.

It was the first time the sect was carrying out attacks in Katsina.

President Goodluck Jonathan placed the three states under emergency rule following unabated bloodbath and bomb attacks which have left hundreds of people and security officials dead.

Security sources confided in our correspondents on Friday that following the increased pressure by the military, some of the insurgents have started sneaking out of the states.

A top military official who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said, “All the states are under intense military surveillance and we are ensuring that no one sneaks out but the insurgents have some secret routes which we are going to block. They will use these secret routes to sneak out because of the heat on them. Ordinarily, they will want to protect their wives, children and the weak among them.”

One of the soldiers deployed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, also told one of our correspondents that some of the insurgents are fleeing the state to neighbouring ones.

The solider who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said, “We have reports that they are running away to neigbouring states and even neighbouring countries. We are doing our best to ensure that all escape routes are blocked.”

According to the soldier, several residents of Gamboru, Ngala, and Marte, where the sect hoisted its flags are fleeing the area because of heavy military operation.

A security expert and former State Security Service director, Mr. Mike Ejiojor, told SUNDAY PUNCH that it was possible that members of the Boko Haram sect would attempt to escape to states near Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“Preventing them from migrating to neighbouring states is the essence of the state of emergency in the three affected states. We hope that it won’t be easy for them to migrate to other states especially if they have cells there,” he said.

Another security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, told one of our correspondents that there was a possibility that members of the sect that had fled the states, could regroup to launch massive attacks on the states under emergency rule.

Ekhomu, who is the President, Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, said such a development could lead to having more states on the list of those under emergency rule.

He said, “They will continue to launch attacks, it is not without doubt. Don’t forget that apart from the affected states, other states have some Boko Haram presence, so they may regroup. The military must ensure that they don’t escape from the states.

“The military should use a lot of tactics to freeze the bad guys (Boko Haram). The essence of conducting the military operation in the North-East is to flush out or capture the Boko Haram elements. If they get away, then the purpose of the exercise is defeated.”

He added that members of the sect might wear military uniforms to disguise as they were becoming more adaptive. According to him, it would become difficult to differentiate between a genuine military officer and a Boko Haram member in military uniform.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Immigration Service has deported 31,822 illegal immigrants from the country in the first five months of the year.

The Public Relations Officer of NIS, Mr. Ekpedeme King, told SUNDAY PUNCH, that the figure represented the total number of immigrants arrested without proper documentation in different parts of the country.

“According to our records, from January this year to the first week of May, the Nigerian Immigration Service arrested and repatriated 31,822 illegal immigrants. I know there is the temptation to link the number to the security situation in the country and the Boko Haram insurgency. But this is the total number of illegal immigrants we have repatriated so far this year, as part of our duties to ensure that every foreigner in the country has adequate documentation,” he said.

Findings showed that most of the deportees were nationals of Niger, Mali and Cameroun, while a small number from other West African countries like Ghana and Benin Republic.

Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who confirmed this development, said the illegal aliens came into the country through the many porous border inlets, adding that to fight terrorism in the country, it was necessary to “throw them out.”

Moro explained that the deportation was part of the measures adopted by government to check the incursion of strangers into the nation and to further contain the security threat posed by Boko Haram.

According to him, it will cost about N500m to provide the manpower and gadgets needed at the borders.

He said, “Manning our international borders effectively to check illegal entry of persons is almost impossible in the nation today. We have to admit the fact that we don’t have enough manpower and equipment to have real control of the situation.

“And I admit to you that prior to the present situation we face, it used to be worse. We used to take so many things for granted until we came to the point of this daring and dire security challenge.

“Part of the measures to succeed in the task had led us to getting into partnership with the American government to procure advanced surveillance equipment for better border security. The illegal immigrants were sent out of the country by the appropriate authorities under the ministry.”

In a related development, Amnesty International has called on security forces to adhere to international human rights standards and the rule of law.

It said it would continue to document human rights abuses by the security forces and Boko Haram, and the dire situation of the people trapped in the middle.

It stated, “We will continue to call on the Nigeria government to take action to protect the population. Nigeria must adopt measures that prevent, investigate and prosecute attacks by Boko Haram, while fully respecting and ensuring human rights in accordance with Nigeria’s international obligations and commitments. The population will not be truly secure until everyone in Nigeria can be confident not only that the risk of attacks from Boko Haram has been reduced, but also that they will not face human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces mandated with their protection.

“Unfortunately, at the moment in Nigeria we have a situation where the military are behaving like they are above the law – like they don’t have to respect the rule of law. So, in some respects, the issue is not so much which law the military are operating under, although it is vitally important that the law complies with international human rights law and standards.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/emergency-rule-boko-haram-militants-flood-gombe-bauchi/

http://www.emmanuelbabatunde.com/2013/05/emergency-rule-boko-haram-militants.html

May they be i dentified and reported as they flood in, or better still, may they be linched.

Jesus have mercy on us- virgin mary come to our aid

They are protecting their wives and children, while killing other people‘s wive‘s. May God destroy all of them

Will comment when I return from church. Need to pray for JTF.

Cowards and cows. They are fleeing away from their territories. Why can't they stay and fight to the end if they believe their cause is just.

Now they don't want the promised virgins. They suddenly realised life is sweeter than any gaddem promised virgin their child molester prophet promised them in hell.. Cowards.. See as they run with their tails behind their legs in the face of war and put their families in danger ways... Bloody cowards.

Alpha boiz, no retreat no surrender.. Kill them all.

The real problem I see is the porous borders we have, anyone who has travelled across our borders will notice it and that theory of them launching massive attacks from neighbouring states is quite scary, anyway I believe in our supposed best land military guys and God.

God pls don't let them flood Gombe o or any other state at all and help the soldier to apprehend them. Father pls don't let them get away after all the evil they've done. There shall be no peace for d wicked.

Exactly why am not yet in support of the emergency rule!

GEJ was accusing OBJ of the flaws in odi and zaki biam invasion that many civilians were casualties of the invasion and the aims were not achieved at the end of the day.

State of emergency is the right step to curb this insurgence, i agree. But it shouldn't be something one would wake up one day to pronounce the execution before taking the civillians into consideration though the civilians are also culprits for their harbouring of these insurgents.

There should have been detectives from the military to map and scale these insurgents and get their places of concentration. The intra states and inter states boarders were meant to be tight and not porous so as to filter the boko haram members from going out through the boarders.

Tolexander: Exactly why am not yet in support of the emergency rule

your opinion is irrelevant.
Much smarter men than you proposed the S0E.

Tolexander: Exactly why am not yet in support of the emergency rule

What exactly are you in support of? Amnesty? No way! They must be flushed out completely. Let them run,I'm very sure they won't get away with their evil acts.

"BokoHaram Militants Flood Gombe, Bauchi"- Punch

This is obviously another mischievous report from one of Tinubu's mouthpiece. I read the whole report but I didn't see anything concrete to support the use of "FLOOD" in the title. All that is in the report are speculations of possibility of Boko haram members sneaking out of hot spots. Is the Nigerian military so dumb as not to anticipate that some Boko haram members will attempt to flee? One would expect the military to expect such and make adequate strategy to apprehend or block them. We all read reports of about 65 fleeing Boko haram members that were arrested yesterday.

I think while it is possible that some Boko haram members may sneak out of states under SOE, the use of "flood" by Punch is mischievous and deceptive. At this critical point, all ethnic and partisan sentiments should be dropped in the interest of NATIONAL SECURITY

Katier00 :
Jesus have mercy on us- virgin mary come to our aid

Amen

okosodo: They are protecting their wives and children, while killing other people‘s wive‘s. May God destroy all of them

Amen & Amen

BarryX: If this guys start wearing Military uniforms, this won't be funny anymore , Please JTF, employ more intelligence tactics as suggested to comb and ARREST them

An exhausted animal will still fight as a matter of natural law. Something needs to be done urgently.

solomon111: your opinion is irrelevant.
Much smarter men than you proposed the S0E.

your reasoning belittled and ridiculed the name you carry cos Solomon was famous for these 3 things, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Guess you are the anti version of the name.

Cos a man holds a political office makes him to be smart? What a fallacy of argumentum ad ignorantium!
If he is smart, why does it takes him a long time to make the emergency rule?
If he is smart, was he not the same president that accused the same tactics employed by OBJ of flaws not knowing it is the same tactics he will still employed at the end of the day.

If he is smarter, why hasn't nigeria been better than he met it but still wallowing in corruption?

Well, no need of dragging issues with someone that said france and SE have the same land mass!

I could not read the whole story as my heart simply could not take it! I kno dis may happen even without anybody reporting it.
There are plenty of options to prevent this from happening by our beloved army and other security agents, e.g., back covering of SoE states by Police, SSS, etc. Spoken english should be adopted as the language of communication by our soldiers as the most of the BH boys do not speak english, etc.
May God bless NA and Nigeria!

Tolexander: your reasoning belittled and ridiculed the name you carry cos Solomon was famous for these 3 things, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Guess you are the anti version of the name.

Cos a man holds a political office makes him to be smart? What a fallacy of argumentun ad ignorantium!
If he is smart, why does he it takes him a long time to make the emergency rule?
If he is smart, was he not the same president that accused the same tactics employed by OBJ of flaws not knowing it is the same tactics he will still employed at the end of the day.

If he is smarter, why hasn't nigeria better than he met it but still wallowing in corruption?

Well, no need of dragging issues with someone that said france and SE have the same land mass!

So you expect GEJ to apply S0E as his first resolve,without first trying other options.
In a tribalistic Nigeria,where the support of the locals is needed to curb terrorism,you expect GEJ to just implement S0E without giving them the benefits of the doubt that other means have been explored.?
You're even more retardedd than i thought.
There were no terrorists in Odi,yet OBJ decided to massacre the whole town instead of arresting the culprits.
So comparing the "odi massacre" to GEJ's S0E is moronnic.
OBJ was vengeful to say the least.
Btw,i thought you were totally against SOE.
Why are you now complaining that the S0E is belated?

solomon111: So you expect GEJ to apply S0E as his first resolve,without first trying other options.
In a tribalistic Nigeria,where the support of the locals is needed to curb terrorism,you expect GEJ to just implement S0E without giving them the benefits of the doubt that other means have been explored.?
You're even more retardedd than i thought.
There were no terrorists in Odi,yet OBJ decided to massacre the whole town instead of arresting the culprits.
So comparing the "odi massacre" to GEJ's S0E is moronnic.
OBJ was vengeful to say the least.
Btw,i thought you were totally against SOE.
Why are you now complaining that the S0E is belated?

never expected much from someone that said boko haram insurgency is greater than the nigerian civil war.
Why didn't GEJ try arresting the terrorists in those states instead of SoE like you expected OBJ to arrest the Militants in Odi and Zaki Biam.

I'm guessing the 72 virgins relocated to Gombe and Bauchi states.... hence the mass exodus

Guys, the issue of collateral damage in any war zone is what the zone must cope with.
We know there are innocent civilians but there are also civilians who not only harbor these militants, they are also sympathetic to the course of the militants.
This should serve as a warning to any community that harbor militants, that they do not only put their lives in danger but also that of their whole community.
You do not expect a soldier to be thinking of rules of engagement when he sees three or more of his colleagues on the floor.

Tolexander: Exactly why am not yet in support of the emergency rule!

GEJ was accusing OBJ of the flaws in odi and zaki biam invasion that many civilians were casualties of the invasion and the aims were not achieved at the end of the day.

State of emergency is the right step to curb this insurgence, i agree. But it shouldn't be something one would wake up one day to pronounce the execution before taking the civillians into consideration though the civilians are also culprits for their harbouring of these insurgents.

There should have been detectives from the military to map and scale these insurgents and get their places of concentration. The intra states and inter states boarders were meant to be tight and not porous so as to filter the boko haram members from going out through the boarders.

then you must have been sleepping all this while..piri u

So..... Nobody fit tell us where Abu Shekau dey?! Even with all the bounty placed on his damn head! Abeg JTF try capture the baddest guys of them and the war is over....

Tolexander: never expected much from someone that said boko haram insurgency is greater than the nigerian civil war.
Why didn't GEJ try asserting the terrorists in those states instead of SoE like you expected OBJ to arrest the Militants in Odi and Zaki Biam.

Are you still trying to compare odi and zaki biam massacre to GEJ's S0E?
Smh.

solomon111: Are you still trying to compare odi and zaki biam massacre to GEJ's S0E?
Smh.

make una leave story,our armies need our prayer. lets pray for them. Neither obj nor gej are wrong. There must always be sacrifice for peace.

Why are the boko haram members running?I thought they said they are fearless?what they know is to attack unarmed women and children.GOD WILL PURNISH all of them and their generation for the lives they have wasted.coward boko haram