Borno and Yobe states impose travelbans

All vehicle movement in Nigeria’s north-
eastern Borno state has been banned
from Christmas eve to Sunday morning to
prevent attacks by militant Islamists, the
army has said.
The decision has led to thousands of
people rushing to get to their destinations,
correspondents say.
Neighbouring Yobe has barred vehicles
from entering or leaving the state.
Boko Haram militants have targeted
churches during previous festive seasons.
The group bombed the St Theresa
Catholic Church in Madalla near the
capital, Abuja, on Christmas Day 2011,
killing at least 43 people.
On Christmas Eve 2010, at least 32
people were killed in bomb blasts
targeting churches in central Plateau
state, which straddles Nigeria’s mainly
Muslim north and the Christian south.
Boko Haram’s insurgency has been most
intense in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the
three states where a state of emergency
was imposed last year to beat back the
militants.
However, the group has stepped up
attacks since then, seizing large swathes
of territory in Borno and capturing
hundreds of people, including women and
children, during raids on towns and
villages.
Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman
said security reports indicated that Boko
Haram planned to launch “massive
attacks” during the Christmas period in
Borno, especially on the state capital
Maiduguri.
In order to guarantee public safety, people
would not be able to travel by road in
Borno from 18:00 local time (19:00 GMT)
on Wednesday to 07:00 on Sunday.
People providing essential services such
as medical care would be exempted, Col
Usmani said.
BBC Nigeria analyst Ibrahim Shehu
Adamu says similar bans were imposed
during previous Christian and Muslim
festive seasons and most people heeded
them by walking to religious services or
the homes of relatives.
The move is aimed at preventing Boko
Haram from transporting explosives in
cars or using motorbikes to carry out hit-
and-run raids, he says.
The less restrictive travel ban in Yobe is
not surprising, as it has not been as
badly affected as Borno by the
insurgency, he adds.
Boko Haram launched its insurgency in
Nigeria in 2009 to create an Islamic state.
At least 2,000 civilians have been killed
by the group this year.
The kidnapping of more than 200
schoolgirls by Boko Haram in April from
the town of Chibok in Borno sparked
international outrage.
( BBC )