On Wednesday, April 9, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State expressed deep concern about the increasing attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram. He shared that the group has been carrying out more attacks and kidnappings across the state, with hardly any response from security forces.
Zulum spoke during a meeting with security officials in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno. He explained that both Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have been causing destruction mainly in northeastern Nigeria. These groups have attacked civilians, killed many people, and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Recently, Nigeria’s military had been able to push Boko Haram back. However, fighting between Boko Haram and ISWAP weakened both groups. But Zulum noted that Boko Haram’s attacks have picked up again, and they have been able to overpower some military forces in several areas, killing both civilians and security officers.
“This is a setback for Borno and the whole northeastern region,” Zulum said during the meeting.
The governor added that the attacks have been happening almost every day in many communities, and security forces have not been able to stop them, showing that Borno State is losing control.
At the time of writing, the military had not yet commented on the situation.
The military had previously admitted that Boko Haram has been changing its tactics, including using drones to spy on and attack targets.
Zulum also pointed out that Nigeria’s efforts to fight Boko Haram have become more difficult after Niger pulled out of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which helps fight armed groups around the Lake Chad region. The MNJTF also includes soldiers from Chad and Cameroon.
Governor Zulum urged Nigeria to take stronger action and use more advanced technology to fight the growing attacks in parts of Borno.
