By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has said political and military solutions are being explored as part of efforts to curtail the sudden upsurge of insurgency in Borno State.
He maintained that the unfortunate development that had led to the death of 100 soldiers and 280 civilians in the 252 attacks carried out by terrorists from November 2024 to April this year was a fact.
He accused the Minister of Information and National Orientation Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, of denying his claims on the latest security situation in Borno State.
Ndume, who addressed journalists in Abuja yesterday, said that the Nigerian military needed multi-billion naira equipment to combat the insurgents.
He, however, said political and military efforts were currently being made to deliver three communities in Borno State presently being administered by the Boko Haram terrorists.
The Senator said the Governor of the state, Babagana Zulum, in company with three senators from the state, met with the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, and Chief of naval staff to brainstorm on how to tackle the current insecurity in the state.
Ndume said, “We are worried because, from November last year to date, we have experienced 252 attacks in Borno State.
“In the six months, over 100 soldiers were killed. Over 238 civilians were killed. Even though the Nigerian Armed Forces are doing their best, they have in Borno state eliminated over 800 terrorists.
“The terrorists themselves have eliminated about 500 of themselves because of the fight between the ISWAP and the Boko Haram. As I’m speaking to you now, three of our local governments are under Boko Haram.
“They are Gudumbari, Marche and Abadam. That is the truth of it. And right now, from 6 pm, you cannot go anywhere except in Southern Borno.
“Even in Southern Borno, seven local governments out of the nine when it is 6 o’clock, you cannot go anywhere. You cannot even move between one local government and another after 5 o’clock in Borno state until eight o’clock in the morning after the Nigerian Army might have scanned the road manually.
“On Thursday (last week), myself (Ndume) and the other two senators from my state and a member of the House of Representatives and His Excellency the Governor went and had meetings with the CDS, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and even Chief of Naval Staff to discuss the recent escalation or resurgence of the insurgency in Borno State in particular.
“As usual, they assured us with a rundown of what they are doing and what they are planning. It’s imposing and very encouraging.
“The Governor is also doing his best by giving them the support. He recently gave them over 100 vehicles and motorcycles to the security agencies. That boosts them.
“The military said they need MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles, for example, and that they need thousands, not hundreds, each costing about $ 1 billion in dollars if you convert it to Naira. So, look at it, their fuel and their movement.
“0ne bullet, if you convert the cost, assuming it is $1 or 50 cents. Assuming it is 50 cents. As of today, that’s N800. So, one bullet is about N800, and a soldier can dispatch 20 or more at once and multiply that by the number of soldiers.
“So we need to place that as the national priority or declare a state of emergency on security, welfare and the economy.
“The President should declare a state of emergency on those three things. They should concentrate on these three things in everything or whatever they do, even if they must borrow. Not this type of borrowing that they are doing now for trivialities. I’m against that, and that is for another day, too.”
Ndume expressed anger at the Minister of Information’s outburst against him and Governor Zulum after he spoke about Borno State security.
He said, “The Minister of information, I think I should call him the Minister of misinformation, calling himself Minister of information, came out to say that the Governor’s statement that we have a resurgence of the insurgency, or that we are losing some grounds to Boko Haram is not true.
“He (Information Minister) has never been to Borno State; he has never gone there to see what is happening on the ground.”
Due to the resurgence of insecurity in his constituency, Ndume said the road from Maiduguri to Biu, which usually takes a maximum of two hours under normal circumstances, had been closed.
He said, “Before you can go there, it will be by escort.” However, the Nigerian Army is trying its best despite these challenges. They still try to move people from Maiduguri to Damboa only every week. Their formations have been displaced.
“So, the Army formation in Wajiruku, in Sabongari, all of them had been displaced. In Monguno in Ngala Local Government, they had been displaced.
“The Army is doing their best but can’t do that without trained and adequate troops. That’s why I said, if these things are to be addressed, they must be taught, they must be equipped, they must be armed, and they must be motivated. That’s what I call TEAM.
“Right now, the soldiers, the police, and the Air Force are overstretched. The total number of them, including the Army, Air Force, and Navy, is not up to 300,000.
“In a country of over 200 million and where the Armed Forces are in action in almost 30 states. The Nigerian Army is on standby in nearly all states, including Abuja. You can’t protect 36 states with over 200 million people, with 300 soldiers that are not well equipped.
“The police are not up to 400,000. They are not equipped. And the worst of it is they are not paid. Until recently, I’m not sure if they have started implementing it; a fresh recruit in the Army is paid N50,000. A fresh recruit in Nigeria police is the same thing.
“All other security agencies. Some are even worse. The N70,000 minimum wage is yet to be implemented in most places. How do you expect them to work?
“But despite that, they are ready. You can see them; these young people are ready to sacrifice their lives for the country. And worst of it, their daily ration, they pay them 1,500. These days, can you get a meal for 1,500?”
