Nigeria: Governor Zulum Says Politicians, Soldiers Acting as Informants for Boko Haram and Army Lacks Equipment to Fight Terrorists

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has said some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces are acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents. The governor also warned that the Nigerian army is increasingly under-equipped to deal with the insurgency, especially as terrorists adopt advanced technologies like drones.

Zulum made these known during an interview, speaking about the escalating security challenges in the North East, and what he believes must be done to end the over-decade-long insurgency.

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,” Zulum stated.

He also expressed concern over the Nigerian aArmy’s limited capacity to respond to evolving threats, revealing that insurgents are now deploying high-tech weapons, including drones.

The army does not have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency. Right now, the insurgents are using drones to fight soldiers on the ground,” Zulum said.

He called President Bola Tinubu to cut through bureaucratic red tape and urgently approve military procurement based on the armarmarmy’serational needs.

A few days ago, I visited the Chief of Army Staff. He said he is looking for about 32 drones and he would end the insurgency. My plea is that let us deal with this matter decisively. The president of Nigeria should listen to those that can distinguish between the right and wrong, not sycophants,” he added.

It will be recalled that thearmyerian Army recently also confirmed that terrorists have begun deploying armed drones as early as November last year, using technology comparable to that seen in modern warfare in Israel and Ukraine. These drones, he said, present a significant challenge to conventional defence systems.

Despite Borno State experiencing renewed attacks in recent weeks, Zulum praised thegovernment’sernment’s plan to establish forest guards as a strategic initiative in the fight against insurgency, but emphasised that such personnel must be sourced locally to ensure effectiveness.

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