Questions are already being asked over the spate of attacks on the convoy of Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum.
On Sunday morning, the Governor’s entourage was again attacked by Boko Haram. It was the second attack on the Governor in three days and the third in some weeks.
Last Friday, Zulum and his team were ambushed in the state by the insurgents and about 30 persons, including policemen, soldiers and members of the Civilian JTF were believed to have been killed.
The Sunday attack, which happened along Monguno- Maiduguri axis, occurred when the convoy was returning to Maiduguri. Fortunately no lives were lost except for some minor injuries.
The Governor was on an assessment tour of Baga in preparation for the return of thousands of residents displaced from the town since 2014.
Monguno is about 80km drive to Maiduguri, the town is host to thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) mostly from Marte, Baga, Kukawa, Dikwa and other surrounding Local Government Areas.
In July, the governor’s convoy was also attacked at Baga while he was on his way to some IDP camps in the northern part of Borno, forcing him to cancel the trip.
President Muhammadu Buhari, reacting to Friday’s attack, described the incident as an attempt to sabotage the return of IDPs to their homes, while Zulum had said the insurgents want to take over Borno.
Some Nigerians have started to call for a special protection for the Governor because they believe the attacks are meant to silence him.
