by James Sambo

Members of the presidential advance team – made up of security personnel, other staff attached to the president and the media – who accompanied President Goodluck Jonathan to Saturday’s presidential campaign rally in Maiduguri, Borno, are reportedly trapped in the state capital.

This is following an attack launched on the town by Boko Haram terrorists.

They were scheduled to leave Maiduguri after the rally on Saturday but had been advised to stay back for their safety by military authorities.

The members of the advance team had taken refuge at the offices of the Department of State Services (DSS) within the state capital, over which a curfew had since been imposed.

One of those trapped said on telephone from Maiduguri on Sunday that “they (military) said they have to comb the bushes to get rid of the insurgents and they said they might not finish today, meaning that we cannot leave today (Sunday).

“Those trapped in the president’s team are members of the media, medical and security personnel. The protocol team took risk and left on their own. That was before the terrorists started advancing.

“We wanted to join them but we were warned by the security guys. The protocol believed it was riskier to join convoy because it would have attracted the attention of the Boko Haram. We are now regretting we didn’t follow them.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military, on Sunday, launched both air and land attacks on Boko Haram sect members in Maiduguri and Mongunu in an attempt to repel the insurgents, who tried to overrun both towns.

Sola