Following the recent resurgence of attacks across parts of the state, Borno State Government has announced an ongoing review of counter-insurgency strategies in collaboration with the Federal Government.
Speaking in a statewide broadcast on Saturday, the state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum assured of commitment to reinforcing local security architecture, improving intelligence gathering, and providing frontline security personnel with the tools needed to combat insurgency efficiently.
He said President Bola Tinubu and the Service Chiefs had given firm assurances of support to Borno in addressing its persistent security challenges.
Zulum also stressed the importance of reinforcing volunteer forces such as the Civilian Joint Task Force, local vigilantes, and hunters, noting that the government would continue to improve community-based intelligence networks and early warning systems.
The governor warned against conspiring with armed groups, either individually or as a community, describing them as collective enemy.
Governor Zulum also addressed the water scarcity affecting Maiduguri and its surrounding areas, attributing the crisis to the destruction of vital infrastructure caused by last year’s catastrophic floods.
He announced the reconstitution of the Anti-Social Vices Committee to curb rising criminal activities in Maiduguri, including violent crimes and social disorder, urging citizens, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society groups to support peacebuilding efforts in the state.
Meanwhile, a federal lawmaker representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos and Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, has called for Nigeria to allocate at least five per cent of its Gross Domestic Product annually to the defence sector.
The lawmaker who stated this during an interview argued that the move is essential to effectively combat the wave of killings and abductions plaguing various regions of the country.