Army Lacks Equipment to Fight Insurgency – Borno Governor Zulum Says, Identifies Boko Haram Sponsors

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has declared that the Nigerian Army is ill-equipped to effectively combat the Boko Haram insurgency while also revealing that some individuals within the military, political class, and local communities are aiding the terrorists.

Speaking during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, Zulum cited internal sabotage as a major challenge in the fight against terrorism.

“The army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency,” the governor said, highlighting what he described as a significant disadvantage compared to the insurgents’ capabilities.

“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 stated further.

Governor Zulum emphasized the need for both kinetic (military) and non-kinetic (socio-economic and political) solutions to address the root causes of insurgency.

“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 explained.

He also warned that despite the reintegration of thousands of repentant insurgents, there remains a risk of some returning to violence.

“Among the 300,000 or more that have repented, I cannot rule out the possibility of a few of them going back to the bush,” Zulum cautioned.

“I want to commend the Nigerian armed forces for the support that they have been rendering to our non-kinetic measures,” he said.

Zulum called on President Bola Tinubu to prioritize accurate, professional advice over political sentiments in the fight against insecurity.

“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,” he urged.