The Nigerian military and a mobile police unit have started advancing to the commercial border town of Mubi, Adamawa state.

The town along with some other
communities in Adamawa and Borno
states were taken over by Boko Haram in
the last few weeks.
Sources say that the police unit, which
appeared battle ready, was headed to the
troubled area not only to flush out the
terrorists but also to liberate Vintim, the
home town of the Chief of Defence Staff,
Alex Badeh, one of the communities
currently under the control of Boko
Haram.
One of the fleeing residents, Bitrus
Gajere, said the mobile police special
anti-terrorist unit had already reached
Marraba Mubi Junction, about 18
kilometres from Mubi town.
Other reports say the Nigerian military
backing the police unit and led by a
colonel was at Pella Junction, 80
kilometres from Mubi.
Mr. Gajere expressed his happiness at
the development.
“It may lead to the end of the trauma
occasioned by the dismal performance of
Nigerian troops who always flee
whenever insurgents strike, leading to
the fall of many towns and villages,” he
said.
Two residents of Marraba Mubi,
Yohanna Gambo and Sanda Zira, told
reporters in Yola that they saw a
detachment of mobile police officers
keeping vigil at the junction leading to
Mubi and Michika Local Governments.
“In fact, we are shocked and surprised to
see a handful of mobile police officer
because since the fall of Mubi, we have
not seen a security man,” Mr. Gambo
said.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the
spokesperson of the Adamawa Police
Command, Othman Abubakar, a deputy
superintendent of police, were
unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone
were diverted.
Contrary to the claim by the Nigerian
military that it was on top of the
situation in Mubi, reports say Boko
Haram is consolidating its position in
the captured town and indeed renamed
it “Madinatul Islam” meaning the city of
Islam.
Trapped residents said the insurgents
were having a field day; holding open
court and preaching sessions as they
threaten to marry off spinsters to
bachelors and open shops that were
closed by their owners.
Musa Aliyu, one of the trapped residents,
said: “They asked us to go about our
normal business without fear of being
killed. They warned shop owners to
come back and open their shops; if not,
the shops would be opened by force. The
insurgents are now holding public courts
and preaching at the emir’s palace and
threatened to marry off girls in for a
dowry of N2,000 to N5,000. For now
there is calm in the town, though we
could hear gunshots at the outskirts.”

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