Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has raised concerns over alleged infiltration of Boko Haram informants within Nigeria’s political class and armed forces, describing the development as a major setback in the country’s fight against insurgency.
In an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday, Zulum asserted that some politicians and military personnel have been collaborating with insurgents, a situation he said requires urgent and decisive action.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities,” the governor revealed. “What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly.”
Zulum criticized what he termed “contractocracy” in the nation’s security approach, stressing that politicizing insecurity only prolongs the crisis. “Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity,” he added.
Addressing the issue of repentant insurgents, the governor said that while a few may relapse into extremist behavior, the majority are now playing positive roles in their communities.
“I cannot completely say that 100% of those people who have surrendered are doing the right thing, but I want to assure you that over 99% are doing well and are not participating in the ongoing terrorism,” he noted.
He emphasized that military force alone cannot defeat insurgency, urging for a balanced approach that includes both kinetic (military) and non-kinetic (social and economic) strategies.
“Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also properly put in place,” Zulum stated. “Our ongoing non-kinetic measures have yielded positive results with the support of the Nigerian military.”
While acknowledging the limitations of the armed forces due to inadequate equipment, Zulum commended their efforts in supporting peace-building initiatives. “The army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency,” he said, adding, “I want to commend the Nigerian armed forces for the support that they have been rendering to our non-kinetic measures.”
He also advised President Bola Tinubu to rely on practical intelligence and listen to credible military advice. “The President of Nigeria needs to listen to those who can differentiate their left from their right,” Zulum said. “We should not politicise insecurity. The President should listen to the army.”
Zulum concluded by revealing plans to establish a forest guard unit as part of the state’s broader security architecture.
