By Tonia Okereke
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has raised an alarm that Boko Haram has informants among top Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces.
Zulum disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, during which he vowed that the state would strengthen its intelligence network and deal with such moles decisively.
He 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.
“Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity,” he said.
On the issue of repentant insurgents, Zulum opined that while not all who surrendered have been fully reformed, the majority have changed their lives and mindset.
“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,” Zulum said
The governor called on the Federal Government to deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in tackling insurgency, noting that over 99% of repentant insurgents are no longer involved in terrorism.
He stressed that military force alone would never bring about a total end to insurgency.
He said, “Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place.
“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.”
He acknowledged that not all 500,000-plus repentant fighters may stay reformed, but believes the system is largely working.
“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.
He expressed concern over the lack of equipment for the military and accused insurgents of having a superior technological advantage, saying “The army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency.”
The governor, however, commended the Nigerian military’s role in participating in peace-building efforts
Be the first to comment