The Defence Headquarters, DHQ has fired back at the Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum Following his lamentation, on Tuesday, that the deadly Boko Haram Insurgents and ISWAP are making advance in some local governments in the state.
According to a statement issued by the DHQ Director, Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye the military countered the governor, saying the armed forces are doing everything on their part, to contain the insurgence, that the soldiers who are putting themselves in harm’s way to secure the country should be appreciated.
Governor Zulum had while speaking in Borno, the state capital during ameeting with security chiefs, including the GOC 7 Divison of the Nigerian Army, the state commissioner of Police, and other sisters security chiefs disclsoed that ‘grounds’ are being lost to the insurgents, who he said, have become bolder recently, considering that they have sacked some military formations in the state.
The insurgents have also taken over four new local governments, including two military formations in Wajirko, Sabon Gari in the Damboa LGA, Wulgo in the Gamboru Ngala, and Izge in the Gwoza LGA, among others, apart kidnapping and killing of many civilians, a situation which the governor said has raised serious concerns.
The governor, said the security agencies should wake up to prevent more grounds being lost to the rampaging terrorists, challenging the security agencies to do more to contain the insurgents, saying the state have provided support for them to be able to fight.
Zulum: “As I address this important gathering today, it is unfortunate that the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities almost on a daily basis without confrontation signalled that Borno State is losing ground.
“As you are all aware, my administration has been very supportive of the military and other security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorists leading to relative peace in the last three years.
‘’It is disheartening to note the recent attacks and dislodgement of military formations in Wajirko, Sabon Gari in Damboa local government, Wulgo in Gamboru Ngala, Izge in Gwoza local government areas among other related killing of innocent civilians and security agencies calls for serious concern, and it is a setback in the fragile state of Borno and the North-East region.”
He urged the federal governmnet to assist the security agencies by providing more equipment to give them leverage over the insurgents, saying more efforts should be made in providing technological warfare ‘to stem the tide of renewed attacks bedevilling parts of the sahelian Borno.’
“In as much as Borno Government under my leadership commend the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies for their unwavering support in the fight against Boko Haram, more efforts have to be put in place through equipping and deploying of technological warfare to stem the tide of renewed attacks bedevilling parts of the sahelian Borno which shares international borders with three African countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.”
Reacting, the military through its spokesman Maj. Gen.Markus Kangye said the troops are ‘sacrificing’ a lot, and their efforts should be appreciated.
According to Kangye, “The military is sacrificing a lot, and our efforts should be appreciated. We are doing our best. We are doing what we are supposed to do, and we are still doing it.”
The federal governor has also chided the state governor over his remark that the insurgents are overrunning the state.
The minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said in a statement yesterday that the federal government is working hard to contain the insurgents, calling on state government to collaborate with the central government to make this happen.
Idris said, ‘’The Tinubu administration is committed to eradicating acts of banditry and terrorism across the country. The successes achieved by the security agencies in the last 18 months are an indication that, indeed, Nigeria is gradually returning to normalcy.
“Government calls on all, especially the sub-national governments to join hands to ensure rapid eradication of the remaining pockets of criminal elements wherever they may be.’
The magazine reports that the residents of Borno and other northeast states have become apprehensive after the insurgents renewed their attack on the state in January, killing over 50 farmers and kidnapping many others in the Dumba community in the Kukawa Local Government Area of the state.
