Abuja, 12 Sep - (ANA) - Nigeria's militant Islamists have "completely surrounded" Maiduguri, the main city in north-eastern Borno state, traditional elders have warned. The military needed to "fortify" the city, which had a population of more than two million, to prevent an assault "from all directions", they said. The Boko Haram militants had "annexed" areas that were about 50km (30 miles) from Maiduguri, they said. Boko Haram declared a caliphate in areas it controls last month. Without mentioning the statement issued by the Borno Elders Forum (BEF), the defence ministry has dismissed "alarmist" reports on Maiduguri. On its Twitter account, it said "Security Arrangements for the Defence of Maiduguri has been upgraded to handle any planned attack". The BEF represents influential people in the state, including former government ministers and civil servants. "We are convinced that the Federal Government of Nigeria has not shown sufficient political will to fight Boko Haram and rescue us from the clutches of the insurgents which may ultimately lead to the total annihilation of the inhabitants of Borno," BEF said. "The insurgents have rendered impassable almost all the roads leading to Maiduguri," it added. BEF said the military needed to "urgently fortify" the city, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002. "The insurgents have surrounded Maiduguri and are nursing the ambition of attacking the city from all directions," BEF said. (ANA)

FA/ANA/12 September 2014---------