Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has urged the federal government to emgage the services of mercenaries to clear sambisa forest and other region in the northeast, yet to be taken over by the army.
Zulum, gave the recommendation when a delegation of the Federal Government led by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, paid him a condolence visit over the massacre of 43 rice farmers, killed in the Zabarmari area of the state.
Zulum who urged the government to take serious measures im curbing the crises in the northeast, cited how former Goodluck Jonathan administration contracted a private army from South Africa, which helped in the recovery of some territories taken over by the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
He said, “One of our recommendations as possible solutions to end the insurgency is the immediate recruitment of our youths into military and paramilitary services to complement the efforts of the Nigerian forces.
“Our second recommendation is to engage the services of our immediate neighbours, especially the government of Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic, in clearing the remnants of Boko Haram hiding in the shores of Lake Chad.
“Our third recommendation is for the President to engage the services of mercenaries to clear the entire Sambisa forest.
“Our fourth recommendation is for him to provide the police and the military, with armed resistant armoured personnel carriers and other related equipment.
“We are also soliciting the support of the Federal Government to support the Borno State repatriation of our displaced persons currently residing in Cameroon and the Niger Republic.”
The governor called for more federal support, adding that roads in the state are in a dire state, and can solve 60 percent of the insurgency, if constructed.
To Zulum, many of the attacks would have been avoided “if adequate support and infrastructure had been provided for the Northeast and the military”.
Borno roads, he said, have not been rehabilitated by the Federal Government in the last 25 years.
“If the Federal Government can fix the bad roads in Borno and the North-East, the insurgency would be reduced by 60 per cent,” he said.
