The ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Lake Chad region have forced
about 250 elephants to flee into Kala/Balge council of Borno state.
The sighted elephants by local farmers, were said to have migrated in
herds from Cameroon and Chad forests to Kala/Balge border community.
While announcing sighting of migratory mammals on Wednesday in
Maiduguri, the Borno state Director of Forest and Wildlife, Peter
Ayuba disclosed that the elephants showed face last December, before
returning to twin border countries in last quarter of 2020.
“The elephants have returned to North East region at risks of Boko
Haram insurgency,” he said;
warning that they may be potential threats to local farmers as they
begin to harvest crops.
Ayuba noted that it was the first sighting of special wild animals in
region, since outbreak of insurgency in Borno state on July 29, 2009.
“Now they are back, and the villagers estimate there are even more of
them this time,” he said, adding that the fleeing elephants are in
border community of Kala/Balge that suffered several attacks,
including January 17, 2017 accidental attack on an IDP camp by
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet.
