Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has urged for the reinforcement of military personnel to expel Boko Haram insurgents from their hideouts in Borno and other states in the northeast of Nigeria.
Zulum voiced this plea during a meeting with the Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, and top military officials in Maiduguri.
The governor emphasized the significance of ensuring the security of Nigerian borders with Niger Republic, Chad, and Cameroon in the northeast. He stressed that this is crucial to prevent the infiltration of ISWAP members and the illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons into the country.
Zulum highlighted the vulnerability of the borders, stating, “Borno State is sharing borders with the Republic of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, so we have to be sure that we don’t have safe heavens in Borno State, otherwise the proliferation of small arms and ammunitions will increase and the presence of ISWAP will also increase as a result of porosity of the Sahelian region. The Sahel region is our major problem.”
Furthermore, the governor urged the military to intensify efforts in clearing the shores of Lake Chad, the Sambisa game reserve, and the Mandara hills, which are known strongholds of the insurgents.
Addressing the need for continuous military operations, Zulum stressed, “The only way that we shall complete the degradation of the insurgent is by continuing military operations.”
Highlighting the potential of the Lake Chad shores for food production, Zulum emphasized the pivotal role it could play in catering to the nutritional needs of the entire nation, especially through the ongoing irrigation scheme initiated by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “There is no area that has more massive land for wheat cultivation than Borno State in Nigeria. Therefore, addressing the insecurity in Borno State entails food production in the entire country.”
The Minister of Defence affirmed that the high-level delegation, mandated by President Bola Tinubu, visited to engage in discussions with the governor, Borno citizens, and troops on the frontline. The aim was to identify challenges and areas for improvement in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.
He expressed determination to bring an end to the insecurity situation and restore normalcy in the Northeast in the near future.
