By Rafiu Ajakaye
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria
Residents of Maiduguri, the densely populated provincial capital of Nigeria's northeastern Borno State, are living in fear following reports of a letter from Boko Haram – the existence of which has yet to be confirmed – that their city would be the group's next target.
"There is tension everywhere because of a letter, purportedly from the sect, [that asserts] that their next destination after [the nearby town of] Bama is Maiduguri," Yari Abdul-Azeez, a resident of Maiduguri, told Anadolu Agency on Friday.
"We are afraid. We pray to God to protect us and we implore the government to take this threat very seriously," he said.
Maiduguri lies about 60kms from Bama, which has reportedly been overrun by Boko Haram militants after days of clashes with Nigerian troops.
Borno State's most populous city appears to be the militants' primary objective.
It had once served as their main base of operations – until they were expelled from the city last year.
The military, for its part, has not responded to AA's enquiries about the purported threat of attack.
But the spokesman for a local vigilante group, the Civilian Joint Task Force, denied that militants had threatened to attack the provincial capital.
"It is not true. It is a big lie," Jubrin Gunda told AA. "We have not seen such letter."
"They [Boko Haram] cannot even come close to Maiduguri," he asserted.
The Borno state government conceded late Sunday that Boko Haram fighters were controlling large swashes of the state and urged concerted efforts to undo the damage.
"At this very moment most parts of Borno state are being occupied by Boko Haram insurgents," Baba Jiddah, the government's secretary, told reporters in the federal capital Abuja.
The militants have already overrun the towns of Gamboru Ngala, Dikwa, Bama and Gwoza, all in Borno State; Buni Yadi and Bara in neighboring Yobe State; and Madagali and most recently Gulak in Adamawa state - all in the northeast.
Their elusive leader, Abubakar Shekau, recently declared all territories under Boko Haram control to be part of an "Islamic caliphate" in northern Nigeria.
Since May of last year, the three states – Borno, Yobe and Adamawa – have all remained in a state of emergency, imposed by the government with the stated aim of curbing the Boko Haram menace.
-Early warning-
Some local residents have reportedly started fleeing Maiduguri in fear of an imminent Boko Haram attack.
"Our colleagues in the Maimalari barracks in Maiduguri have started relocating their families because of a letter from Boko Haram that they are coming to the town," one military officer told AA, requesting anonymity due to the issue's sensitivity.
He said that sect leader Shekau had reportedly said he would lead the battle to take Maiduguri.
"It is not helpful not to take such threats seriously given the history of the terrorists," said the officer.
"You recall that the mass abductions in Chibok were preceded by such a letter. Same for many previous attacks," he insisted.
On April 14, Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls in Borno State's town of Chibok, according to official accounts.
Shekau later claimed responsibility for the abductions, offering to trade the kidnapped girls for fighters held by Nigerian authorities.
The abduction of the schoolgirls – and their continued captivity – has proved a headache for the Nigerian government, which has been criticized for its failure to secure the girls' release until now.
On Thursday, over 10,000 members of the vigilante group and retired soldiers offered their services to confront Boko Haram, urging authorities to give them the green light.
The group is known for its role in helping to expel Boko Haram from Maiduguri last year, after which the vigilantes had requested official recognition in hopes of taking the battle to the well-armed – and increasingly daring – militants.
On Friday, Every Nigerian Do Something (ENDS), a nonprofit group, launched a global appeal for funding to help the vigilantes combat Boko Haram.
"We are calling on all good citizens across the world to support the mission of Nigerian civilian patriots against Boko Haram terrorists," ENDS Coordinator Peregrino Brimah said in a statement.
The government, for its part, has yet to respond to the vigilante group's request.
Outlawed in Nigeria, Turkey and the U.S., Boko Haram has been blamed for thousands of deaths and scores of violent attacks, especially in the country's restive northeastern region, since turning violent in 2009.
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