Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has accused certain Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces of serving as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents.
Speaking during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday, Zulum revealed plans to enhance the state’s intelligence capabilities and take tough action against those sabotaging counterinsurgency efforts.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, among politicians, and within local communities. We will strengthen our intelligence network and deal with them ruthlessly,” he said.
He also called for an end to what he described as “contractocracy,” asserting that Nigeria could defeat insurgency within six months if political interests were set aside. “We must not politicise insecurity,” he added.
On the issue of repentant Boko Haram members, Zulum acknowledged that not all have fully reformed but insisted the majority are making positive contributions.
“I cannot say 100% of them are doing the right thing, but over 99% are no longer involved in terrorism,” he noted, emphasising the importance of combining military efforts with social, political, and economic strategies.
“Insurgency cannot be defeated by military force alone. We need to implement non-kinetic measures—addressing the root causes of the crisis through social and economic interventions,” he explained. Zulum credited these measures, along with military support, for ongoing progress in the region.
He admitted the possibility of some of the over 500,000 repentant fighters returning to violence but expressed confidence in the effectiveness of current approaches.
Zulum also criticised the lack of proper equipment for the military and warned that insurgents often possess superior technology. “The army does not have the necessary equipment on ground to tackle the insurgency,” he said.
Despite this, he praised the Nigerian military for its continued support in peace-building efforts, particularly through cooperation on non-kinetic strategies.
The governor urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise intelligence gathered from the field and heed expert military advice. “The forest guard will be provided immediately. The President must listen to those who can offer sound, professional guidance. We must avoid politicising insecurity,” Zulum concluded.
