Boko Haram scare rocks Gov Nyako’s convoy

Sporadic gunfire forced Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako yesterday to cut short his visit to Shuwa in Madagali Local Government Area where 37 people were killed in coordinated attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Wednesday.

The Defence Headquarters dismissed reports that the governor’s convoy was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents.
“The alleged attack on the convoy of Governor Nyako as presented in a breaking news report on some television channels this afternoon (yesterday) is not true,”   Director, Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade said in a statement.
“The truth is that the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako visited Michika and Shuwa areas of the state to sympathise with the communities that were attacked by terrorists recently.  While returning, the convoy came across a noticeable pandemonium which resulted from the alarm raised by some people who had mistaken a convoy movement of troops on patrol at Kirchinga village, for another impending attack by terrorists,” the statement added.

Speaking to journalists immediately he arrived in Yola from the scene, Nyako said confusion ensued when some soldiers raised a false alarm of Boko Haram attack while he was addressing survivors of Wednesday attacks in Shuwa.
“Two military vehicles blocked the road and when I was going to my car, they shouted ‘they are here, they are here’. I asked who are here, they said Boko Haram. Before we knew where they were, they started firing their guns,”Nyako said.
The governor said he had to leave the village because of the panic, stressing that: “of course the best thing to do in such a situation is to get out of the place.”

He said although there was confusion, no one was harmed during the incident.“I am perfect; I was not rattled by the incident,” he said and advised the public to remain calm.
A source close to the governor said people in military uniforms came to the venue in two vehicles and raised an alarm that Boko Haram was advancing, causing panic in the town, hence security men attached to the governor hurriedly whisked him away to safety.
A resident of Gulak told Weekly Trust that motorists travelling to Shuwa had to turn back to relay the information of fresh attack, causing panic in the area.
“The pandemonium caused many residents of Gulak to flee to the mountain top to hide,” a resident who asked not to be named said.