Northern Youths Leadership Forum (NYLF) has accused the federal government and military of using propaganda to sweep the frequent attacks by Boko Haram terrorists under the radar.
It lamented the military has refused to take responsibility for the weekly deaths of soldiers and citizens in the fight against the sect in the North-east.
The forum was reacting to the recent bomb blast that rocked Mubi town and last Monday’s militia attack on four villages in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State which resulted to the killing of over 50 people and 60 people respectively in the two separate attacks.
It noted that the security challenges were becoming unbearable in the North-east, adding that if the military had mopped up the Sambisa forest as claimed, why is the insurgents operating from the dreaded forest again?
Speaking, NYLF National Chairman, Afiyo Elliot, said there are no two Sambisa forest “if truly the military had cleared Sambisa forest of insurgency, why are insurgents living and organising their operations from the forest?
According to him, an intelligence reports made available to them indicated that the Boko Haram insurgents are still the occupants of the forest where they plan and carry out their operations.
He said the true situation about the activities of Boko Haram insurgency and herdsmen/farmers crisis especially in the North-east was hidden by the military and other security agencies from Nigerians.
“There is a big disconnection between what we are told and what is real,” he said
While the chairman condemned the two separate attacks in strong terms, he said if the military had degraded the insurgents as they claimed, why are the recent bombings occurring continuously as more lives have been lost to these attacks than when the insurgents were using smaller weapons to fight.
The chairman said the authority should stop using propaganda to deceive Nigerians but to tell Nigerians the truth in order to allow them offer genuine prayers and seek solace from God.
Elliot said if they continue to tell lies, God might not answer the prayers of Nigerians, adding that telling the true situation might attract help from somewhere else.
However, Senator Abubarkar Girei also condemned the attack in a strong term, describing it as demonic and inhuman that every Nigerians should condemn the unholy act perpetrated by the insurgents.
Girei, who was one time the governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, further explained that caution should be taken to checkmate the activities of the insurgency, saying if nothing is done to stop the incessant attack on indigenes of the North-east, the situation will be worse.
General Buba Marwa (rtd) also joined prominent Nigerians to condemn the act perpetrated by the Boko Haram terrorists as he explained that the military should step up its strategies to contain the onslaught of the terrorists.
Also, North-east Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Mafindi Danburam, said for now, 60 people were killed in the attacks as the death toll continues to rise.
