Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has accused some military officers, politicians, and community members of acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram terrorists.
The governor made the allegation during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, where he expressed frustration over the activities of saboteurs undermining efforts to combat insurgency in the state.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian Armed Forces, within the politicians, and within the communities,” Zulum said. “What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly.”
Zulum, who vowed to take firm action against those frustrating the state’s anti-terrorism efforts, said his administration would intensify intelligence gathering and improve security coordination.
He also called for the elimination of what he described as “contractocracy,” stressing that insecurity should not be politicised.
“In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity,” he said.
The governor further emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to fighting insurgency, arguing that military action alone would not bring lasting peace.
“Insurgency will never end with kinetic measures alone; we must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also put in place. What I mean by non-kinetic measures are socio-political and economic dimensions of the crisis,” he said.
Zulum also noted concerns regarding former insurgents who have laid down arms, stating that while over 300,000 have reportedly repented, there remains the possibility that some may return to the bush.
