The Borno Elders Forum has raised the alarm that Boko Haram insurgents have surrounded the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, and are preparing to launch an attack to capture it.
The group stated this on Thursday, calling for military reinforcements.
The alert from the forum, made up of retired senior civilian and military officials, came after the United States of America warned of an imminent attack on the city and analysts claimed the government risked losing control of the region, the Agence-France-Presse reported.
The BEF expressed its fears after Boko Haram captured some towns in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in recent weeks.
In Borno, the militants are now said to control an area from the north around Lake Chad, down to its eastern border with Cameroon and round to Bama, 70 kilometres from Maiduguri to the south.
The Defence Headquarters claimed that Nigerian troops had retaken Bama but the Borno elders said the government needed to act, asserting that the insurgents were in reach of the city.
?They have declared their caliphate; independent Islamic State with their headquarters at the all-important and military strategic city of Gwoza,? BEF said in a statement.
?They declared the Gwoza Emir?s palace as their seat of government, hoisting their flag there. They have annexed and are sitting in court in several other key towns and regions.
?They have completely surrounded the city of Maiduguri. It is apparent that their imminent target is to take the city of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. We wish to call on the Federal Government to urgently fortify in and around the city of Maiduguri.?
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