Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has asked the federal government to seek the support of Chadian military in the fight against insurgency in his state.
Zulum said this while hosting members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), in Maiduguri, the state capital, on Wednesday.
The governor whose convoy was attacked thrice in two months, in an attack which led to the death of 30 security personnel and civilian traveling with him, said he would not be deterred from carrying out his duties.
According to a statement by Zulum’s spokesman, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, “Zulum pleaded with the federal government to ensure that Chadian soldiers are invited to join the Nigeria Army in the fight against insurgency if any meaningful success is to be recorded on the battleground.”
“Zulum rationalised that no single army anywhere in the world has ever succeeded in quelling insurgency and requested that the government looked into ways of complementing the efforts of the Nigeria Army with the Chadian soldiers, emphasising it is not to undermine the Nigerian soldiers but to help them in finishing the job within a realistic deadline.
“The situation in our State has become very dire because, everything calls for endurance, commitment and dedication if our people were to be drawn out of the woods.
“Chad Basin used to employ about 10 million people while the Sambisa Grazing Reserve and the Mandara Mountains used to employ about 3 million people but the insurgents have made these places inaccessible to the people.”
Chairman of the NGF, Kayode Fayemi, who led the delegation, said “an attack against one is an attack against all” while expressing support for the Borno governor.
Fayemi also announced a donation of N100million to the state government.
“Dr Fayemi admonished Prof Zulum to exercise caution in his activities in the state, even though he narrated how the Borno Governor always responded by saying that his life was in the hands of Allah and that death will only come when Allah wills,” the statement read.
“The NGF Chairman announced a donation of one hundred million Naira to the Government and people of Borno State from the NGF before handing the cheque over to the Borno governor.”
