The governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has once again raised an alarm over alleged regrouping of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the state.
He said the terrorists are currently regrouping in the Tumbus areas of Lake Chad and the Mandara Hills within the Sambisa Forest in the state.
Mr Zulum disclosed this when the Minister of Defence Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa and Minister of State Defence Bello Matawalle paid him a courtesy visit in Maiduguri on Thursday.
According to the governor, the terrorists are regrouping and operating within the areas without military action.
He said, “What we are facing now is… We do military exercises/operations, and after some time, we disengage. The Boko Haram and ISWAP members will again come and take over those areas that were hitherto regained.
“There was never a time since the insurgency started that operations were conducted on the shores of the Tumbus in the Lake Chad. And, it has been a breeding ground for the insurgents. They can get money, livelihoods, and everything in that water.”
“So, there is a need for us to see how military operations should be conducted on the waterway because all the terrorists that are operating in the Northwest, North Central, Northeast will return to the Sahel and Tumbus in the Lake Chad for their livelihood. This is something that needs to be done.”
Mr Zulum listed some of the challenges faced in the state as lack of military manpower covering the Timbuktu triangle, Tumbus, Mandara hills, and the porous Nigerian borders to Sahelian states.
“Manpower is very essential, while I am aware of the constraints of the Nigerian army, because right now, you are everywhere in Nigeria. The Northeast, Northwest and North Central as well as southern Nigeria. I’m aware of your limitations.
“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.
“ISWAP and Boko Haram are terrorists getting support internationally, and looking at our porous borders remain infiltrated through the Sahel, which is our major problem.
“If the Sahel is not secure, Nigeria will never be secure. 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.
“So, we need manpower, and in terms of military operations, the operation should be a continuous exercise,” he said.
The governor appealed to the defence minister to deploy more equipment for successful operations in the state.
“We need air support. I know the kind of constraints you face accessing fighter helicopters and others, but attack helicopters are very important in these areas, and drones are also very important.
“The last attack that happened in Wulgo, carried out by ISWAP and Boko Haram, a confirmed statement said it was carried out with the support of armed drones. They hit the MNJTF with drones.
“This is the time for the Nigerian military to rise again and procure sophisticated drones and anti-drone equipment so that we get rid of these problems.
“While you are working towards kinetic measures, you should consider the non-kinetic approach, which is very important. 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.
Mr Zulum also acknowledged some of the strides achieved by the armed forces in the northeast region.
In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, assured the governor of the federal government’s support and deployment of more troops to wipe out the insurgents.
