Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has made startling allegations that some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces are acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents. Speaking during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, Zulum emphasized the need to strengthen intelligence networks to identify and deal with such saboteurs.
“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,” Zulum stated.
He further criticized the politicization of security issues, asserting that with a unified approach, the insurgency could be curtailed within six months.
“Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicize insecurity,” he added.
Governor Zulum highlighted the importance of combining both kinetic (military) and non-kinetic (social, political, economic) measures to effectively combat insurgency. He acknowledged that while military force is essential, addressing the underlying socio-economic factors is crucial for lasting peace.
“Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place,” Zulum emphasized.
He also mentioned that the majority of surrendered insurgents are contributing positively to peace efforts, though he admitted that not all have fully reformed.
“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 noted.
The governor expressed concerns over the military’s lack of adequate equipment to effectively combat insurgents. He advocated for increased investment in intelligence gathering and the establishment of forest guards recruited from local communities to enhance security operations.
“This is very important, establishing forest guards will be a game changer. But I want to give an early warning, that these forest guards should be recruited from the communities within the states,” Zulum advised.
His remarks come amid a resurgence of attacks in Borno State, with recent incidents resulting in significant casualties and raising concerns about the effectiveness of current security measures.
