Jakana Residents In Borno Evacuated To Bakassi IDP Camp As Military Attacks Boko Haram

Residents of Jakana, a town on Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, have been evacuated to give way for the clearance of Boko Haram by the military.

Jakana is believed to be a place of convergence for Boko Haram before and after launching attacks on other parts of Borno and Yobe states.

A source told our correspondent in Maiduguri that Jakana has become a safe haven for members of Boko Haram.

He said that, after operations in another location, “Boko Haram come back to Jakana with agreement that they will not attack the town or kill any indigene.”

“The town also serves as their foodstuff supply chain, as it allows the insurgents to freely come in and make purchases from shops,” the source added.

Confirming the clampdown, the National Emergency Management Agency in a statement by its information officer at the Northeast Zonal Office in Maiduguri, AbdulKadir Ibrahim, said: “Residents from Jakana town in Konduga Local Government Area, situated along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway, are being evacuated to Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons camp in Maiduguri by the military for their safety as a result of ongoing operations to flush out insurgents in the area.”

He said camp management officials consisting of various stakeholders in humanitarian response are mobilising resources to cater for the people’s basic needs after their registration and profiling.