Maiduguri, Nigeria – The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has made a striking accusation, alleging that some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces are acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents.
Governor Zulum made these claims during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday. He vowed that his state would significantly strengthen its intelligence network to “deal with them ruthlessly.”
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities,” Governor Zulum stated. “What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly. Let’s remove ”contractocracy”. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity.”
Repentant Insurgents and Non-Kinetic Approaches
Addressing the issue of surrendered insurgents, Governor Zulum indicated that while not every individual who has surrendered has fully reformed, the vast majority are now contributing 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 affirmed.
The Governor reiterated the necessity for Nigeria to adopt both kinetic (military force) and non-kinetic (social, political, and economic) strategies to effectively tackle the insurgency. He stressed that military force alone would never bring about a complete end to the conflict.
“Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place,” he explained. “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.”
While acknowledging the possibility of a small number of the over 500,000 repentant fighters reverting to insurgency, he expressed confidence in the overall effectiveness of the system.
Equipment Shortfalls and Presidential Appeal
Governor Zulum also criticised the inadequate equipment available to the military, alleging that insurgents possess a superior technological advantage. “The army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency,” he claimed. Despite this, he commended the Nigerian military for their support in peace-building efforts.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to pay close attention to ground-level intelligence and professional advice from military experts. “The forest guard shall be provided immediately,” Governor Zulum said. “The President of Nigeria needs to listen to those who can differentiate their left from their right. 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.”
The governor’s remarks underscore ongoing challenges in the fight against Boko Haram and highlight the complex dynamics of the conflict in Nigeria’s North-East.
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