Terrorists could derail resettlement efforts without sustained military action – Zulum

Following recent deadly attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and their rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), around the Bama and Gwoza local government areas of Borno State.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has expressed concern that the security situation could deteriorate further if the military fails to strengthen its presence around border communities.

Recently, BusinessDay reported how the terrorists attacked several locations, including Darajamal in Bama Local Government Area, also Banki and Kirawa on fringe of Nigeria-Cameroon border community in Bama and Gwoza Local Government Areas, claiming the livies of over 65 civilians aside wanton private and public structures raze down.

Last Wednesday, October 1, Governors Babagana Zulum of Nigeria’s Borno State and Brig.Gen Mahamadou Ibrahim Bagadoma of Niger Republic’s Diffa Region held a closed-door meeting in Diffa, to, among others, re-strategize for lasting security around the Lake Chad shores.

Their discussions reportedly centered on joint patrols, intelligence sharing, and sustaining the recent gains that have pushed insurgents out of many of their former strongholds.

Read also: Insecurity: How Zulum fights Boko Haram with Boko Halal

Zulum, last Friday, October 3, undertook a commiseration and assessment visit to Kirawa community where the violent extremists killed one person and torched the district head’s palace, reportedly sending the district head to flee to the neighbouring Cameroon.

Following the frightening resurgence of terror attacks, Zulum charged the Nigerian Armed Forces to scale up military operations in Borno State to avert the possibility of terrorists reversing the gains recorded so far.

“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩e𝘴e 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯s 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 which are Wulgo, Kirawa, Baga, Damasak, Malamfatori, and others are borders community that has to be protected because of the significant of these communities.”

He continued by expressing his frustration, “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 and two days ago you have seen these terrorists come to this town and destroyed everything.” Zulum said while addressing journalists at Kirawa town on the spot assessment.

Governor Zulum noted that border communities in Borno State were recently attacked by insurgents after repeated warnings to Nigerian authorities went unheeded.

“I am appealing to the Nigerian Armed Forces to be more committed. Above all, we need military operations. For sometime, military operations were not conducted in Borno State.

“This has been instrumental to the renewed insurgency. We need to take note of one very important thing, continued military operations. There is need for us to sustain our military operations,” Zulum said.

The governor sympathised deeply with residents over the tragic incident and condemned the attack in the strongest terms, assuring the people of his administration’s commitment to their safety and well-being.

He announced concrete steps that can improve security in the area, revealing that plans are underway to deploy additional security personnel and establish a new Civilian JTF post to enhance surveillance and rapid response capabilities in and around Kirawa.

Reacting to the latest development, Dauda Illiya, Governor Zulum’s spokesperson was optimistic that the recent setback would not deter the committiment of the current administration to resettle displaced persons.

Dauda pointed out that Governor Zulum has always emphasized the nexus between resettlement programme and development is adequate security which it is vital to defeating the terrorists.
Read also: Insurgency: Plan underway to deploy troops around Nigeria/Cameroon border town – Zulum
He added that the Governor’s two-day confidence building visit to the area further demonstrate and underscores his repeated statement.

Dauda said, “However, the border town of Banki is showing encouraging signs of recovery, with its population steadily increasing each day. Governor Zulum has consistently stated that the resettlement of displaced people, along with resilience and peace-building initiatives, are central to defeating the insurgency in the region.

“His hands-on approach and connection with local communities have continued to earn him the trust of the people he serves. He is widely recognised for his close identification with the citizens of Borno.

“This latest visit to the border area demonstrates Governor Zulum’s clear commitment to rebuilding a stronger and more prosperous Borno State.”

The urgency for change of approach and strategy is highly imperative, not only to enable Borno State government safeguard and consolidate the significant success it has achieved in the resettlement of returnee communities in their ancestral abodes, but also to check further advances by the terrorists who seem hell-bent on reconquering liberated territories.

Liberation of all territories, (except Guzamala, Abadam, and parts of Marte and Kukawa) hitherto under the grips of the terrorists by the Nigerian military and the multinational joint task force restored the sufficient security that facilitated the state government’s reconstruction and resettlement programme tailored towards the rapid rebuilding of the state economy.

The current resurgence of terror activities across the Northern, the Central and parts of the Southern zones of the state glaringly shows the determination of the terrorists to halt the resettlement programme and this is the right time for the military to rise to the occasion by defending the territorial integrity of this country by protecting and safeguarding the borders communities in the northeast and northwest where these violent extremism are wrecking havoc on helpless civilians.