Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has alleged that some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces are serving as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents.
Zulum made the claim during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday, where he pledged to ramp up intelligence operations and deal decisively with saboteurs.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities. What we shall do is strengthen our intelligence and deal with them ruthlessly,” Zulum declared.
He also warned against politicising insecurity and criticised the culture of “contractocracy” in security spending. “In six months, we can put an end to this madness,” he said.
On the issue of repentant insurgents, Zulum admitted that not all have fully reformed, but asserted that over 99% of those who surrendered are no longer involved in terrorism.
“I cannot completely say that 100% of those people who have surrendered are doing the right thing, but over 99% are doing well,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of combining military action with non-kinetic approaches—addressing the social, economic, and political dimensions of the crisis. “Insurgency will never end through kinetic measures alone,” he said.
Zulum acknowledged that some ex-fighters may relapse but insisted the broader rehabilitation programme is yielding results. “Among the 500,000 or more that have repented, I cannot rule out the possibility of a few going back,” he said.
He also lamented the military’s lack of adequate equipment, noting that insurgents appear better equipped technologically. Despite this, he praised the military for supporting peace-building initiatives.
The governor urged President Bola Tinubu to rely more on grassroots intelligence and professional military advice. “The President needs to listen to people who can tell him the truth. We should not politicise insecurity,” Zulum concluded.
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