Boko Haram renames Mubi, Madinatul Islam

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• Asks fleeing Adamawa residents to return home

Boko Haram, which has been in control of Mubi, one of the largest cities in Adamawa State, has renamed the town. The terrorist group, which has brought the town, along other seized territories under its socalled Islamic Caliphate, said Mubi would now be known as Madinatul Islam, meaning the city of Islam.

However, it has appealed to Mubi residents and others in Adamawa State who have fled their homes following its capture of their towns to return home, assuring them that they will be safer in its caliphate.
A fleeing resident from the overran commercial border town of Mubi, Danladi Habu, told reporters yesterday in Yola that the insurgents had established their authorities over Mubi and had renamed the town. “They could be seen patrolling the town while others at strategic locations brandished their rifles; but they asked us not to panic or run away.
They hold open court and preaching sessions, just as they changed the name of Mubi to Madinatul Islam,” he stated. Some of the residents also said Boko Haram had asked them to return to their residences, with a promise that they will be more secured in the “Islamic Caliphate than in Nigerian territories.”
A resident of Uba town, Mr. Bello Baba Salisu, said normal activities had started picking up in the captured territories as Boko Haram called on residents not to fear and they should open their shops for business. Baba added that the insurgents have assured them of security and freedom. He said unlike other parts of the state where curfew was imposed and people were prevented from riding motorcycles, “the insurgents assured us of free movement anytime of the day and asked us to ride our motorcycles and go about normal activities.”
“They kept telling shop owners to open their shops, threatening that anyone who fails to open his shop will have the shop broken.
“Whenever the insurgents want any commodity, they pay for it. This encouraged meat sellers, tea sellers and others to open for business. “They provided security during the market day of Uba town last Thursday while promising to continue to give traders and residents who come to the area utmost security as long as they comply with Islamic rules.
“They have opened one of the filling stations belonging to A.A Garba in Uba town as motorists’ troop to buy the commodity due to high demand,” he stated. However, Mr. Sunday Joshua Wigra, who visited Maiha, a nearby town from Mubi, said despite the assurances by the insurgents, many trapped residents were still fleeing, including soldiers.
“Our country has failed. We are fed up with the deception by our leaders who seem only to be concerned with their 2015 ambitions. “I was in Maiha a few hours ago and the pathetic plight of the people I saw was simply beyond belief. We were in a commercial bus when some fleeing soldiers said we must adjust for them to get a space in the bus to flee, which we objected. It’s unfortunate that even soldiers joined civilians to run away,” he told reporters. Also yesterday, residents of Adamawa State protested the imposition of dusk-to-dawn curfew on the state by the government.
A cross-section of the people who spoke on the development described the state government’s action as unfair and totally unnecessary. The state government had on Saturday announced the curfew, from 9pm to 5am, to contain the worsening security situation in the state. But residents said the curfew, just like the previous one, was not a solution to insecurity.
A resident, Joseph Dauda, said: “This rush to impose curfew here and there is not solving anything; they are just punishing the helpless people. “We have been under various kinds of curfew since the imposition of state of emergency with nothing positive to show for it. Madagali, Gulak, Michika and now Mubi and Uba towns were taken by Boko Haram in spite of the fact that the listed towns were under dusk-todawn curfew.
“Government should stop making things hard for us. If curfew is the only consolation they have to offer us, we say no thanks.” Aisha Usman, Bello Idris, Ladan Ibrahim and Istifanus Musa also condemned government over the curfew. Musa said: “Whenever they slam this curfew, what we always experienced is high cases of robbery and burglary of people’s shops.
People were forced indoors while criminals walk freely looting. “You also need to know that many displaced persons from Mubi and other affected areas are trooping into Yola from Mubi. With this curfew, how do you expect them to cope if they arrived late?” “Following the current security situation in the state, the Adamawa State Government has consequently reviewed the the current curfew ( 11 pm to 5am).
“The curfew will now commence from 9 pm to 5 am daily. However those on essential services and with permit will continue to carry out their duties. “All citizens and security operatives are please advised to comply with these directives”, the statement said. However, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has expressed concern over the annexation of towns and villages in the North-east by Boko Haram, describing the situation as sad and worrisome.
He also called on the Federal Government to provide sophisticated gadgets, ammunition and equipment to security agents to combat the insurgency and ensure proper surveillance in the border areas. The sultan, said in Sokoto yesterday at a seminar by Zonal Command Travel and Alien Control (TAC) that the security situation in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, where the insurgents have taken many towns and villages, was worrisome.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram members yesterday bombed the Divisional Police Headquarters in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State. The insurgents were said to have stormed Nafada during midday and started shooting sporadically. After gaining some grounds within the town, the gunmen then proceeded to the Divisional Police Headquarters, which they bombed.
The attack forced many people to scamper to safety. Though no life was lost in the attack, the police station was burnt as a result of the impact of the explosives used in bombing it. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Fwaje Atajiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), could not be reached for comments as his telephone line was switched off.
http://newtelegraphonline.com/boko-haram-renames-mubi-madinatul-islam/