By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The Senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu to temporarily hire the services of military contractors to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
Ndume, who hailed the gallant performance of the military and civilian JTF, said they were ill-equipped to eliminate the remaining insurgents operating within.
The Senator, currently away in the Benin Republic for an ECOWAS Parliament engagement, stated this in a telephone conversation with journalists in Abuja yesterday.
He was reacting to the Boko Haram terrorists’ attack on Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, on Monday.
The terrorists had launched a fresh attack on the area, and the action led to the killing of six farmers and the abduction of five, including women.
It was learnt that during the attack, the commander of Civilian JTF in the area, Jubril Dada Zarana, was killed by the terrorists.
No military personnel died, though they tried without success to repel the attackers.
The fresh attack is coming barely a few weeks after the same terrorists killed many civilians in a bomb blast. Hundreds of other civilians were injured.
Ndume said the world’s superpower hired military contractors to aid them in warfare.
“He listed the United States of America, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, among others, as countries that often engage the services of military contractors.
In the long run, he said able-bodied Nigerian youths can be drafted to raise the number of military men in the country to at least one million.
Ndume lamented that Boko Haram terrorists are forcing the farmers who are the regular victims of the attacks to abandon their farming harvest at a time when the country is facing a severe food crisis.
“All across the world, governments hire the services of military contractors to engage in certain places. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can consider this to be a short measure. These contractors will work with our military and Civilian JTF, who understand the terrain.
“These contractors will come with their equipment and military hardware. In a very short time, they’ll eliminate those Boko Haram terrorists. The contractors can also eliminate those bandits operating in the North West.
“Over some time, the federal government has been able to recruit youths to join the military and raise the number to at least one million. In the interim, the President should consider hiring military contractors.”
The Councillor representing Ngoshe ward, Gwoza Local Government Area, Filibus Yakubu, told journalists yesterday that the terrorists ambushed the farmers while they were busy with their farming activities.
He said security agents (Army and CJTF) “Tried their best to protect the people, but they could not hold them for long. Jubril Dada Zarana was killed with honor in defending his people while the other victims,” he added.
He said, “The Boko Haram terrorists released three women from which this information was obtained. The released women further stated that the victims were being kept hostage by the terrorists.
“Moreover, some people were still missing from our conversation due to this incident. The people did not return to Ngoshe during the catastrophe, and as reported by the released women, they are not part of the ones abducted.
“It is an Independence Day, a celebration of freedom, human rights, progress, and unity. But for our people, it is a day of sorrow, despair, infringement, destitution, helplessness, and total dilemma.
“Our people are severely suffering due to lack of essential life support, but they have chosen to remain in their fatherland because of the love they have for it.
“The State Government has tried for our people, but NGOs and others are not providing us with food supplies.
“The little farming on which they have hope for survival, they have to put their lives along the line to harvest what they have planted.
“People of Ngoshe and the neighbouring villages (Gava, Agapalawa, Amuda, Chinene, Chikide, Dhugwade, Kwadale, Bokko, Barawa, Kughum, etc.), only God can aid us. Some of the villages above’ people live in Ngoshe.”
