The Yobe State Governor, Mr Ibrahim Gaidam, has reminded security forces in Yobe State of the need to be extra vigilant, as the dreaded Boko Haram sect members also have an intelligence unit.
The Governor was speaking on Wednesday after inspecting places destroyed recently by the terrorists group in Damaturu, the state capital.
The Governor said the tracing of strategic places burnt by the insurgents’ shows that they have been moving in and out of the formation with a view to strategising the attack carried out in Damaturu.
While praising the security forces for their gallantry, he advised them to be extra vigilant and take note of who goes in and out of the command to avoid surveillance by the sect members.
The Governor thanked Damaturu residents for their consistent prayers and urged them not to leave the town as the insurgency would soon become a thing of the past. He assured them that more troops would be deployed to the north-east to counter the terrorist activities.
He promised that all the burnt structures would be rebuilt and assured the affected persons of the government support, after it had received and reviewed the assessment report from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Places destroyed during the attack were; the ‘A’ division, the Area command, the police officers mess, the Izala mosque and some shopping centres located at the Damaturu motor park.
Official vehicles of the Nigeria Police Force and some cars belonging to the officers and men of the command were also burnt by the terrorists.
The Damaturu attack was carried out by suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgents on Friday, January 9.
State Government Expends N669m On Scholarships
Meanwhile, the Yobe State Government has expended N669 million in sponsoring 15, 745 students in various institutions of learning within and outside the country for the 2014 academic session.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Press Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego said “Governor Ibrahim Gaidam gave the approval for the release of the funds to the State Scholarship Board for the payment of the student bursaries as part of his drive to ensure that Yobe students get the best possible education, skills and training as they need to play a part in moving the state forward”
Of the 15, 745 beneficiaries of the government’s scholarship payments in 2014 according to the statement, 15, 649 students enrolled in institutions of learning in Maiduguri, Kano, Kaduna and the Nigerian Law School, among others and were paid a total of N309.13 million.
The statement also said other beneficiaries include 17 PhD, 39 MSc and 40 medical students enrolled in overseas universities who received a total of N360 million.
It revealed that the Gaidam administration is committed to supporting Yobe students in every way possible to make it easier for them to enrol in and graduate from universities and other institutions of higher learning which will help the state in the near future.
“The Yobe State Government will also continue to pursue an all-hands-on-deck approach to revitalising and retrofitting its primary and secondary schools to enable them provide quality education to Yobe pupils and students” the statement concluded.
