Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to recruit mercenaries in getting rid of Boko Haram insurgents from Sambisa forest.
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan had procured the services of
mercenaries to assist the Nigerian army in the war against the insurgents.
But the government of Buhari terminated the contract with
mercenaries in 2015.
Two years ago, Eeben Barlow, chairman of the Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection International (STTEP), a South African mercenary company, had said Buhari rejected intelligence warnings about operations of Boko Haram in Borno.
He also said Nigerian soldiers have been reaching out for
help since his company’s services were terminated.
But when a federal government delegation visited Borno on
Monday, over the killing of at least 45 farmers, Zulum listed hiring of
mercenaries among his recommendations to the president over the frequent
attacks in the state.
Among those in the federal government delegation were Senate
President Ahmad Lawan; Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president;
Babagana Monguno, national security adviser; and some ministers.
Other recommendations by the governor include provision of
armed resistant armoured personnel carriers, rehabilitation of roads and
support for displaced persons.
“One of our recommendations as possible solutions to end the
insurgency is the immediate recruitment of our youths into military and
paramilitary services to complement the efforts of the Nigerian forces,” he
said.
“Our second recommendation is to engage the services of our
immediate neighbours, especially the government of Chad, Cameroon and Niger
Republic, in clearing the remnants of Boko Haram hiding in the shores of the
Lake Chad.
“Our third recommendation is for him to engage the services
of the mercenaries to clear the entire Sambisa forest.
“Our fourth recommendation is for him to provide the police
and the military, with armed resistant armoured personnel carriers and other
related equipment.
“We are also soliciting the support of the federal
government to support the Borno state repatriation of out displaced persons
currently residing in Cameroon and Niger Republic.”
Zulum added that the federal ministry of works had not
constructed roads in the last 25 years “in Borno State and most parts of the
North-east”.
He said if the federal government can fix the bad roads in
Borno and the north-east, “the insurgency would be reduced by 60 percent”.
Lawan sympathised with the state government over the
killings, saying the Buhari administration is committed to ending insurgency.
He said “no efforts will be spared”, adding that the
government will do “anything and everything until we take the fight against
insurgency to their enclaves”.
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