The military has said that Boko Haram insurgents have infiltrated some areas around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital instilling fear by asking people to vacate their homes, TheCable reports.
Spokesman of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Thursday morning, said the insurgents were out to intensify their psychological war by instilling fears in the citizens.
“There is credible information and evidence that in a bid to further intensify their psychological war and instil fears in the citizens, some elements of the Boko Haram have infiltrated some villages at the fringes of Maiduguri city. They have clandestinely been going about threatening innocent residents, warning them to vacate their homes,” the military said.
Several residents have fled their homes in communities around Maiduguri, a development which could exacerbate humanitarian situation in the state.
“Several inhabitants have moved out of their ancestral homes,” the military disclosed.
It, therefore, appealed to residents especially those living within Maiduguri metropolis and its environs to report or avail the military or other security agencies with information on the presence of suspicious persons in their communities.
“Members of the public are enjoined to please cooperate and support ongoing operations to weed out the infiltrating terrorists and their sympathisers,” the military said.