Boko Haram Attack Power Station Around Damboa

For 3 weeks now Borno State capital Maiduguri has been reportedly cut off from the national grid following the damaging of major electricity installments around Damboa by Boko Haram insurgents.

Leadership has made this known with reference to its security sources.

Many residents of the city are said to be suffering from the darkness in the area. People were unaware of the reason for power outage and thought it had been caused by power line upgrade for improved supply, as it had been previously stated by the minister of state for power, Hon. Muhammed Wakil.

According to the new findings however the real reason for blackout is attack by terrorist on major installations of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Confirming the information, the military source said the insurgents had detonated bombs leaving about 2 million of Maiduguri residents without electricity. As a result many locals have to rely on power plants and big businesses – on generators. 

The situation has reportedly resulted in substantial hardships both for businesses and individuals.

Households who produce iced blocks required for the Ramadan fasting period lament now they are forced to purchase them:

"We now buy iced sachet water for N25 but before it used to be sold for N10 each or, in some cases, two sachets of iced block for N15."

A representative of Yola Electricity Distribution Company who pleaded anonymity also confirmed the development explaining that it would take time to restore the power supply in the area.

It would be recalled that the recent attack on Damboa town was launched by the sect members just last week, July 18, with several lives claimed.

As for the general "treatment" of public infrastructure by Boko Haram, within the past 3 years the insurgents have been vandalizing telecommunication masts to cut off Borno State people from the rest of the world.

Meanwhile Borno is among the 3 country states where the Nigerian authorities have recently voted for emergency rule extension. Yobe, Borno and Adamawa by the current moment have faced the presence of military for more than a year. Critics say that despite deployment of soldiers to the north, in the recent months the states have been hit by the direst attacks in their history.