By Rafiu Ajakaye
LAGOS
Nigerian authorities have denied any resurgence of Boko Haram after the militants had captured Marte town in northeastern Borno State.
"There is really no cause for alarm in the way some reports are presenting this situation as if it is a meaningful resurgence of the terrorists," defense spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a Sunday statement.
Boko Haram militant recaptured the town of Marte over the weekend.
"Marte has today completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a huge setback," Mustapha Zannah, deputy Borno State governor, told reporters on Friday.
This came a day after authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew on Maiduguri, the provincial capital of Borno State, following a Boko Haram attack on a local military barracks.
"Marte had been deserted by citizens most of whom had fled to other towns while others are [taking refuge] in camps located in Maiduguri and other places," insisted Olukolade.
"It is understandable that those terrorists escaping from the offensive operations in Sambisa and other enclaves are looking for place of respite," he said.
"They must have found the Marte deserted and decided to harbor there," added Olukolade.
The Nigerian military – backed by Nigerien and Chadian troops – recently liberated all territory captured earlier by Boko Haram in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
In the face of the government's recent onslaught, Boko Haram militants are believed to have retreated back into the Sambisa Forest, a notorious stronghold of the militant group.
"Now that their presence is reported, the issue will definitely be addressed in a very short while," vowed the army spokesman.
The capture of Marte was followed by a spate of surprise Boko Haram attacks near Maiduguri in which over 50 people were killed.
On Saturday, a female suicide bomber also struck in neighboring Yobe State, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens.
But Olukolade insisted there is no cause for alarm.
"There will certainly be no respite for terrorists anywhere in Nigeria," he vowed. "Wait and see."
