Borno State has reintegrated no fewer than 300,000 repentant Boko Haram terror!sts over the past three years, the state Governor, Babagana Zulum has disclosed
Governor Zulum made the revelation while receiving the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; and other top military commanders during their visit to Maiduguri.
“Borno State has, within the last three years, received more than 300,000 repentant Boko Haram fighters — and not all of them are fighters. Some of them are farmers,” he said.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Nigerian military, the governor noted that several challenges continue to hamper the effective fight against terrorism and called for urgent interventions.
He stressed the importance of combining kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in the ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
“Manpower is very essential. While I’m aware of the constraints of the Nigerian Army — because right now, you are everywhere in Nigeria: the North-East, North-West, North Central, as well as southern Nigeria — I’m aware of your limitations,” he said.
“But still, considering the northeastern region, the Nigerian Army should look into the possibility of sending more trained manpower. There is a difference between Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits.”
Governor Zulum further warned of the growing external support for terrorist groups operating in the region.
“ISWAP and Boko Haram are terrorists getting support internationally, and looking at our porous borders, they remain infiltrated through the Sahel, which is our major problem.”
He emphasised the strategic importance of securing the Sahel to achieve lasting peace across Nigeria.
“If the Sahel is not secured, Nigeria will never be secured. So, there is a need for us to fortify the security situation in the Sahel with a view to ending the crisis in the entire nation.”
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