Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has alleged that some politicians and members of the armed forces are acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents.
Zulum made the allegation during a recent interview on News Central’s Breakfast programme, where he also said the Nigerian Army lacked the necessary equipment to defeat the terrorists.
According to him, if politics were set aside, Boko Haram could be eradicated within six months.
He said, “We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, among politicians, and within the communities. What we shall do is strengthen our intelligence and deal with them ruthlessly.”
His comments came the same day Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, disclosed that some of the terrorists and bandits operating in Nigeria are foreigners, and the Senate issued a warning that insurgency could spread across the northern region if not contained urgently.
Zulum criticised the politicisation of security issues and called for a unified national effort to address the crisis. “Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness; we need not politicise insecurity.”
Speaking on the reintegration of former insurgents, the governor acknowledged that while not all those who surrendered had fully reformed, the vast majority were behaving positively.
“I cannot completely say that 100% of those people who have surrendered are doing the right thing, but I want to assure you that over 99% are doing well and are not participating in the ongoing terrorism,” he said.
He stressed the importance of combining both military and non-military approaches in the fight against insurgency.
“Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place,” he added.
Explaining the concept of non-kinetic strategies, Zulum said: “What I mean by non-kinetic measures is social, political, and economic dimensions of the crisis. Our ongoing non-kinetic measures have yielded positive results with the support of the Nigerian military.”
Despite concerns that some of the over 500,000 repentant fighters might relapse, the governor expressed confidence in the system’s effectiveness.
“Yes, I believe among the 500,000 or more that have repented, I cannot rule out the possibility of fewer of them going back to the bush,” he said.
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Zulum, however, lamented that the military lacks sufficient resources to combat the insurgents, who he said now deploy superior technology.
“The Army does not have the necessary equipment on ground to fight insurgency. Right now, the insurgents are using drones to fight soldiers on the ground,” he stated.
While commending the Armed Forces for their contribution to peace-building, he urged President Bola Tinubu to listen to ground-level intelligence and professional advice.
“We should not politicise insecurity. The President needs to listen to the people who can tell him the right thing. The President should listen to the Army.”
Zulum also revealed his recent meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, where he learnt of the military’s urgent need for drone technology.
“A few days ago, I visited the Chief of Army Staff. He said he is looking for about 32 drones and he would end the insurgency,” he said.
He warned against the denial of insecurity in Borno and emphasised the importance of facing the truth.
“A few days ago, I said there is insurgency in Borno State. I commended the Federal Government for doing very well and that we should come together to resolve the issues. Some people said there is no insecurity in Borno State. We should not politicise insecurity.”
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