Borno State, the epicentre of Nigeria’s battle against Boko Haram, is grappling with a deadly resurgence of insurgent attacks, with 256 attacks recorded in just six months, the senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume has said.
Ndume said the violence has claimed over 100 soldiers and 200 civilians, leaving entire communities paralysed by fear and insecurity.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Ndume painted a grim picture of a state under relentless attack.
“You cannot move between local governments after 5 p.m. until 8 a.m., and only after the army manually scans the roads,” he said, highlighting the chokehold insurgents have on mobility.
According to him, three local governments—Gudumbari, Marche, and Abadam—remain under Boko Haram control, with seven of nine southern local governments virtually inaccessible after 6 p.m.
The senator revealed that key roads, including the Maiduguri-Biu route, are closed, forcing residents to rely on weekly military escorts for travel to Damboa.
“Army formations in Wajiruku, Sabongari, Monguno, and Ngala have been displaced, with soldiers overstretched and under-resourced.
“The armed forces are fewer than 300,000 for a nation of over 200 million, facing threats in nearly 30 states,” Ndume said.
He called for better training, equipment, and motivation for troops.
The lawmaker explained that despite the military’s efforts—eliminating over 800 terrorists, with another 500 killed in clashes between Boko Haram and ISWAP- Ndume warned that inadequate funding and poor welfare are crippling Nigeria’s security apparatus.
“A fresh recruit earns N50,000, and their daily ration is N1,500—can you get a meal for that?” he asked.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on security, welfare, and the economy.
Ndume, alongside Borno’s governor and other lawmakers, recently met with Nigeria’s service chiefs to address the crisis.
While encouraged by their plans, he expressed frustration at the government’s response, particularly criticising the Minister of Information for dismissing the insurgency’s resurgence.
“Wajiriku has fallen, and we’ve lost officers in Isge and Bita,” he said, slamming the minister’s remarks as a “disservice” to the nation.
