Claims by President Muhammadu Buhari that Boko Haram has been “technically defeated” are simply false as the terrorists still control more than half of Nigeria’s troubled state of Borno, a Senator representing Borno Central, Baba Kaka Garbai, told journalists on Saturday.

Buhari had repeatedly said since December last year that Boko Haram had become so weakened that it now only resorts to hit and run attacks, but the Senator from the troubled state said all that was propaganda but not the reality on ground.

Garbai spoke to journalists on Saturday evening during a condolence visit to Dalori village where 65 persons were killed last week and at least 136 others were injured in the gun and bomb attacks by Boko Haram that lasted four hours, less than 10 kilometres from Maiduguri, the heavily militarised capital of Borno State.

He said both the military and Boko Haram have full control of three separate local governments in troubled Borno State and share control in all the 21 other local governments.

“I feel highly demoralised, devastated in the sense that this is the village we came during the election and they were going about their normal business. The activities that were ongoing was like confidence building.

“They actually got the signal a few days before the attack that the insurgents were likely to attack them, they reported to the constituted authorities but nothing was done.

“I will like to appeal to the military to intensify their effort in ensuring they beef up security around the villages and communities that share borders with Maiduguri metropolis. It is very important and more so that this place is porous, there could be attack from any direction,” he said on Saturday after giving financial assistance to those left in Dalori.

He added: “It is a wrong assumption that most of the local governments in Borno are recaptured from the Boko Haram. In reality this is not true in the sense that apart from Maiduguri Metropolis, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar, these are the three local governments that are under the occupation of the Nigerian government where the military and police are maintaining law and order.

“Mobbar, Abadam and Kala Balge are 100 percent occupied by the insurgents. There are some local governments that are partially occupied by the insurgents especially as the local government secretariats have been liberated but their hither-lands are still controlled by the insurgents.”

Garbai gave an instance of Konduga which was liberated but still has many communities in the local government area under the insurgents.

He said “though Gwoza town has been liberated there still remain six wards in Gwoza local government area still occupied by the insurgents.”

“From my count, only three local government are fully liberated, 21 local governments partially occupied by insurgents, that is there is still some level of Boko Haram occupation side by side the military or any other constituted authority. The local government fully occupied by Boko Haram are Abadam, Mobbar and Kala Balge.

“We should not live under the illusion that Boko Haram are decimated or weakened, these are not reality and neither a true reflection of the reality. The reality is that most of the local governments in Borno is partially occupied by Boko Haram.”

On the proposed reconstruction, rehabilitation and relocation in the troubled areas, Garbai said it was unreasonable while bomb and gun attacks were still taking place.

“If the people are moved back to their homelands you are making them vulnerable to attack. Unless you provide maximum security and return of law and order in these areas, relocating these people would be endangering their lives.”