Nigerian governor calls for suspension of poll in northeast state

The governor of restive northeast Nigeria's Adamawa State on Thursday reiterated his call for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the February general elections in the state.

Adamawa is one of three states that have been placed under emergency rule because of an insurgency waged by Islamist Boko Haram militants.

Bala Ngilari, the state governor said in a statement reaching Xinhua that he made the call based on security reports and the reality on ground.

The governor said that as the chief security officer of Adamawa, he would not play politics with human lives.

He decried the criticism that followed his earlier call for the suspension of the election at an INEC workshop in Abuja.

He said most of his critics were politicians residing outside the state.

The governor lauded the effort of security operatives toward the recovery of parts of the state under the control of insurgents and urged the public to continue to remain calm and security- conscious.

The insurgents have taken over many towns and villages in Adamawa, including Madagali, Michika, Mubi North and South.

Bombings by Boko Haram in central and northern Nigeria have killed over 3,000 people over the past five years.

The Islamist group has come under the international spotlight in April 2014 after it abducted more than 200 girls from a school in northern Nigeria. Endi