Babagana Zulum, the Borno State governor has alleged that some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces are serving as informants for Boko Haram insurgents.
Zulum made the claims on Wednesday during an appearance on News Central’s Breakfast Central, where he vowed to crack down on saboteurs and bolster the state’s intelligence operations.
“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,” he said.
He called for an end to what he termed “contractocracy,” adding that depoliticising insecurity could lead to a swift resolution of the conflict.
“Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity,” Zulum added.
On the subject of former insurgents who have surrendered, Zulum acknowledged that while not all have fully reformed, a vast majority have abandoned terrorism.
“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.”
The governor underscored the importance of combining military efforts with social and economic strategies, emphasizing that force alone cannot end the insurgency.
“Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place.”
He highlighted that over 500,000 individuals had surrendered, admitting the possibility that a few may relapse, but maintained that the strategy was yielding results.
“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.”
Zulum also criticized the Nigerian military’s lack of advanced equipment compared to the insurgents.
“The army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency.”
Despite these challenges, he praised the military’s role in supporting non-combat peace efforts.
“I want to commend the Nigerian armed forces for the support that they have been rendering to our non-kinetic measures.”
Zulum urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise grassroots intelligence and listen to experienced military professionals.
“The forest guard shall be provided immediately. 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.”
