Governor Kashim Shettima has dispelled speculations that a dam in Alau town, a distance of about five km from Maiduguri in Borno state, had been bombed by boko haram insurgents.
Following the over-flow of water from the dam, locals of the town had circulated stories that insurgents had destroyed the dam.
Shettima, who dispelled the rumor on Sunday, after a tour of the facility with Brig.-Gen. Bulama Biu, Acting GOC 7 Div. Maiduguri, said the damage was caused by lack of maintenance.
Shettima said that it was one of the embankments that was slightly washed away by water.
“Our findings reveal that one of the embankments got washed away, embankments that require regular maintenance.
“The GOC (7 Div) was there early this morning; he assessed it and has pictures of what happened to that particular embankment,” he said.
The governor said he and some management staff of Chad Basin Development Authority were also at the scene and assured them that measures would be taken to remedy the situation.
Shettima said that some days ago, some of the dykes were opened to decongest the dam, and that the measure might have been responsible for the washing away of the portion of the embankment.
“I wish to assure Borno citizens that all is well; there was no terrorist attack on the dam,” he said.
Also clarifying the issue, Bashir Garga, NEMA Northeast Zonal Cordinator, said that one of the dykes close to a deserted community, got destroyed.
Garga said an emergency response team comprising NEMA and SEMA officials undertook an on-the-spot assessment to ascertain the situation.
“Though the team could not gain access to where the incident occurred, but based on the information gathered on the field, it was one of the dykes close to one of the deserted communities, Bale Kayamla, that was washed away,” he said.
Mr Babagana Yuroma, Executive Director Engineering Chad Basin Development Authority, said three of the five dykes had washed away.
Yoruma said the activities of insurgents around Alau village had made it impossible for maintenance to be carried out on the dykes, hence the sudden lapses.
