Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has raised the alarm over the regrouping of Boko Haram insurgents in the Tumbus areas of Lake Chad and the Mandara Hills within the Sambisa Forest in the state.

Zulum lamented what he called a setback in military operations in the state, saying Boko Haram terrorists were freely breeding in Tumbus water areas on the Lake Chad without much effort by the military to dislodge them.

The governor disclosed this in Maiduguri on Friday when the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and other top military commanders paid him a visit.

Zulum, who acknowledged the efforts of the military in combating the Boko Haram in Borno and the North-East, noted that there had been a resurgence of the terrorists in certain areas, particularly around the Tumbus in Lake Chad and the Mandara Hills in Sambisa Forest.

He said, “What we are facing now is, we do military exercises/operations, and after some time, we disengage. The Boko Haram and ISWAP members will again come and take over those areas that were hitherto regained.

“There was never a time since the insurgency started that operations were conducted on the shores of the Tumbus in the Lake Chad. And, it has been a breeding ground for the insurgents. They can get money, livelihoods, and everything in that water.”

“So, there is a need for us to see how military operations should be conducted in the waterway because all the terrorists that are operating in the Northwest, North Central, Northeast will return to the Sahel and Tumbus in the Lake Chad for their livelihoods. This is something that needs to be done.”

Zulum listed some of the challenges faced in the state as lack of military manpower covering the Timbuktu triangle, Tumbus, Mandara hills, and the porous Nigerian borders to Sahelian states.

“Manpower is very essential, while I was aware of the constraints of the Nigerian army, because right now, you are everywhere in Nigeria. The Northeast, Northwest and North Central as well as southern Nigeria. I’m aware of your limitations.

“But still considering the northeastern region, the Nigerian army should look into the possibility of sending more trained manpower. There is a difference between Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits.

“ISWAP and Boko Haram are terrorists getting support internationally, and looking at our porous borders remain infiltrated through the Sahel, which is our major problem.

“If the Sahel is not secured, Nigeria will never be secured. So, there is a need for us to fortify the security situation in the Sahel with a view to ending the crisis in the entire nation.


https://punchng.com/borno-gov-raises-the-alarm-as-boko-haram-regroups/