Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in the North-East, disclosing that insurgents now use advanced technology against the Nigerian troops.
During an interview on News Central TV on Wednesday, the governor passionately called for urgent intervention and collaboration between the federal and state governments to end the insurgency.
Zulum revealed that the Nigerian Army is currently under-equipped to effectively counter the growing sophistication of insurgents in the region.
“The Army doesn’t have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgents, and I want to also inform you that, right now, the insurgents are using technology to fight the soldiers on ground,” Zulum lamented.
He disclosed that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede had informed him of the urgent need for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance battlefield intelligence and combat efficiency.
“A few days ago, I had a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Army Staff said that he is looking for 32 drones to end the insurgency and he’s right.
“Each drone is costing about $5.5 million, so why can’t we pull resources together so that we can buy these drones and prioritise insecurity?
“Another issue we shall look into is the procurement of military equipment, both hardware and software. Let’s deal directly, government to government, so that we can get value for money.
“Otherwise, most of the contractors—I’m not saying all—once you give them the money will not even buy the equipment, and some of the monies are going into the torturous bureaucratic purse of the ministerial assessments,” Zulum stated.
He, however, expressed strong confidence that, with the right approach and unity among all tiers of government, insurgency could be decisively dealt with quickly.
“If we want to do right, we can put ourselves together and this madness will end within six months. But the right thing must be done,” he said.
“Federal Government and state governments must come together, we need to prioritise security, and then we need not to politicise insecurity which is very important, the Federal Government needs to listen to us, we shall offer our services and advise on how we can move forward,” the govenor stated.
