Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has sounded the alarm over the presence of informants and collaborators aiding insurgents from within the Nigerian Armed Forces, political circles, and local communities.
Speaking during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday, Governor Zulum said, “We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities. What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly.”
His disclosure adds a troubling dimension to Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts, highlighting the need for internal cleansing and improved intelligence gathering in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
Zulum, who has long advocated for both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in tackling insecurity, stressed that military force alone cannot end the insurgency in the North-East. He emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying socio-political and economic factors fueling the crisis.
“Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone,” he said. “We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place. Our ongoing non-kinetic measures have yielded positive results with the support of the Nigerian military.”
Addressing the controversial reintegration of repentant insurgents, the governor stated that over 99% of those who surrendered have disengaged from terrorism and are rejoining society.
“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.
Zulum also raised serious concerns over the military’s capacity, noting that the Nigerian Army lacks adequate equipment to effectively confront insurgents.
“The army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgents,” he said. “Right now, the insurgents are using technology to fight the soldiers on ground.”
He revealed that the Chief of Army Staff is seeking 32 drones—each costing about $5.5 million—to bolster surveillance and combat operations. Zulum urged the federal government to prioritize security spending and pursue direct government-to-government procurement to eliminate inefficiencies and corruption.
On the contentious issue of state police, Zulum expressed skepticism, instead calling for the urgent deployment of forest guards as a more viable solution.
“I don’t think the state police can do better than the forest guard,” he said. “The forest guard shall be provided immediately.”
The governor called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to heed professional military advice and resist the politicization of national security.
“The president of Nigeria needs to listen to those who can differentiate their left from their right,” he said. “We should not politicise insecurity. The president should listen to the army.”
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