Back Gwoza Catalan Gwoza (distrito) CEB Gwoza Spanish Gwoza French Gwoza Hausa Gwoza Italian Agbègbè Ìjọba Ìbílẹ̀ Gwoza Yoruba Gwoza ZH-MIN-NAN
Gwoza | |
|---|---|
LGA and town | |
 An IDP Camp in Gwoza | |
  Gwoza | |
| Coordinates: 11°5′10″N 13°41′29″E / 11.08611°N 13.69139°E | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Borno State |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,113 sq mi (2,883 km2) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 388 600 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
 | |
Gwoza is a local government area of Borno State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Gwoza, a border town "about 135 kilometres South-East of Maiduguri."[2] The postal code of the area is 610.[3]
The terrain is rocky and hilly.[4] The Gwoza Hills, with heights of about 1300m above sea level provides scenery and is made up of the Mandara Mountains, which form a natural barrier between Nigeria and Cameroon, starting from Pulka. They overlook the game reserves by meandering towards Mubi and beyond in Adamawa State.[5]
The Gwoza LGA has been called "a notorious hide out for the Boko Haram insurgents,"[5] who arrived in the area in 2009 from Maiduguri.[6] The area has suffered considerable violence as a result of the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria, and in 2014, saw an influx of Boko Haram fighters fleeing Sambisa Forest.[citation needed]
As of 23 June 2014[update], "reports indicated that the whole of Gwoza was under attack. The report could not be substantiated because most telephone masts in Gwoza and surrounding villages have been vandalized by insurgents."[7] Deutsche Welle reported that "Roads out of the region are extremely dangerous and phone connections are poor to nonexistent."[8]
As of 19 October 2014, an estimated 3,000 Gwoza residents displaced by fighting are "squatting on the fringes of Abuja", according to a local relief committee spokesman, with "the need for shelter, food, clothing and medicare for the displaced also becoming dire."[9]
On 27 March 2015, the day before the Nigerian presidential election, the Nigerian Army announced that it had recaptured the town of Gwoza from Boko Haram.[10] According to AllAfrica.com, "Gwoza, one of the largest towns in Borno, fell under the control of Boko Haram terrorists on August 6, 2014."[11]
- ^ "Post Offices - with map of LGA". NIPOST. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
naijagistswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Post Offices-with map of LGA". NIPOST. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
- ^ "Scores killed in attack in northeast Nigeria". Al Jazeera English. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ a b Bodunrin Kayode (29 April 2014). "Inside Nigeria's Sambisa forest, the Boko Haram hideout where kidnapped school girls are believed to be held". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
- ^ "Why has Borno become a stronghold of terror in Nigeria?". Deutsche Welle. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
- ^ "Nigeria: Three Soldiers Feared Killed As Bomber Hits Military Post". Daily Trust - allAfrica.com. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
deutschewellewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Terkula Igidi (19 October 2014). "Nigeria: From Gwoza Killing Field to Misery in Abuja". Daily Trust - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- ^ "Boko Haram HQ Gwoza in Nigeria 'retaken'". BBC News. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ Nnenna Ibeh (27 March 2015). "Nigeria: Finally, Nigerian Troops Recapture Gwoza Town". allAfrica.com - Premium Times. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
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