hardware, including fighter jets have been
deployed to Maiduguri ahead of yesterday's
declaration of State of Emergency.
In neighboring Yobe State, it is not clear
how many soldiers were deployed but
residents said shortly after the declaration
of state of emergency, stop and search operations
have been intensified in the state capital while
movement have been restricted in other places.
Residents said the deployment of the federal
troops, including the army, navy, air force and
operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) began
at the weekend.
We started sensing danger on Saturday when we
saw military trucks conveying soldiers to the Joint
Task Force (JTF) headquarters along Pompomari
area, Usman Jika, a resident of Maiduguri said.
By Sunday morning, so many roadblocks have
sprung up in the state capital and there was
noticeable cordon and search of houses by new
faces (soldiers), he said.
All the soldiers that came to the neighborhood
appeared new in the town, some of them said it is
now time for 'fire for fire he said. Another resident
said he saw military aircrafts landing at the
Maiduguri International Airport and the air strip at
the Air Force base in the state capital.
A lot of fighting equipment have been deployed to
Maiduguri, Hajja Maimuna, a resident of Gomari,
whose house is close to the Air Force base said.
We are really terrified because the military
operatives coming to Maiduguri in the last two days
far outnumbered those that came during the
previous emergency rule, she said.
Even though the state governor has not been
removed, which is good, the truth is that Maiduguri
is now a garrison town, full of angry soldiers who
are ready to kill at the slightest provocation. The
deployment will definitely hamper social and
economic life of the people, she said.
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