Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has disclosed that the state has, over the past three years, received more than 300,000 “repentant” Boko Haram members, a development he described as both a humanitarian necessity and a delicate security risk.
Governor Zulum made this revelation while hosting the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; and other top military commanders during a crucial visit to Maiduguri, the state capital.
The governor’s remarks came against the backdrop of mounting concerns about the resurgence of terrorism in the Lake Chad Tumbus and the Mandara Hills — notorious hideouts deep within the dangerous Sambisa Forest.
While commending the Nigerian military’s efforts, Zulum did not mince words about the challenges crippling their operations, warning that if immediate steps were not taken, the Northeast could once again spiral into a full-blown crisis.
> “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 were coerced civilians, farmers caught in the crossfire,” he stated.
Zulum stressed the urgent need for additional trained manpower, recognizing the enormous burden the military carries as they battle insurgencies across the Northeast, Northwest, North Central, and even in parts of Southern Nigeria.
> “Manpower is critical. I understand the Nigerian Army’s overstretched capacity, but the Northeast, considering its peculiar challenges, requires greater attention. Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits are distinct threats requiring tailored strategies,” he emphasized.
The governor sounded an alarm over international links fuelling insurgency, asserting that Boko Haram and its splinter group, ISWAP, were receiving foreign support and exploiting Nigeria’s porous Sahelian borders to reinforce their ranks.
> “If the Sahel is not secured, Nigeria can never be secure,” Zulum warned.
“We must urgently strengthen security along our borders to stem the flow of arms, fighters, and illicit support into the country.”
He particularly highlighted the growing use of attack drones by insurgents, referencing a recent assault in Wulgo, Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area, where ISWAP forces allegedly deployed armed drones to devastating effect against the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
“This is the time for the Nigerian military to rise again. We must invest heavily in sophisticated drones, anti-drone systems, and attack helicopters. Without air superiority, we cannot win this war,” he insisted.
Zulum’s passionate appeal follows his earlier remarks at an Expanded Security Meeting in April, where he decried the alarming spate of attacks and abductions across Borno State.
> “The renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings occurring almost daily without effective confrontation show that Borno is dangerously losing ground,” he lamented during the meeting, attended by senior military officers, security agency heads, and traditional rulers such as the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji (Dr.) Abubakar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, and the Shehu of Bama.
The governor pointed to the dislodgement of military bases in several flashpoints — including Wajirko and Sabon Gari in Damboa LGA, Wulgo in Gamboru Ngala LGA, and Izge in Gwoza LGA — as evidence of the insurgents’ growing audacity.
> “Despite the unwavering support my administration has provided to the military and security agencies, the fall of these key formations and the killing of innocent civilians and personnel is a bitter blow to our fragile stability,” Zulum stated gravely.
The Borno State government, despite embracing the controversial policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant insurgents, now finds itself at a critical juncture — balancing the tightrope of peace-building and security threats that refuse to fade away.
As Zulum’s government navigates these turbulent waters, the eyes of the nation — and indeed the world — remain fixed on Borno’s long and perilous road to peace.
PIONEER NEWS 