Governor Zulum of Borno State has criticised Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accusing him of being “naive” about the country’s security situation.
The governor’s statement came on the heels of an attack on the Damboa-Maiduguri road on Saturday, where eight people were killed by an explosive device planted by Boko Haram insurgents.
Governor Zulum made this known shortly after the deadly incident that left seven others severely injured and 14 others with minor injuries.
The explosion, which occurred on a road connecting the state capital Maiduguri to Damboa, highlights the continuing security challenges faced by the state in the fight against Boko Haram.
In his response, Governor Zulum said, “I believe the Minister of Information is naive about what is happening in the country. He doesn’t know what is ongoing in the country.”
He expressed concerns over the Minister’s recent comments regarding the state’s security and called for better understanding of the situation on the ground.
Zulum noted the need for resilience from both the local communities and the Nigerian military in the face of such threats.
“I want to advise the communities to be resilient enough. I want to advise the Nigerian Army to be resilient enough because there’s no way people will travel a distance of 700 kilometers to go to Damboa. Ordinarily, they come here to Damboa, it’s only about 100 kilometers,” he said.
The Governor reiterated that the incident would not deter the state’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the route.
“We shall ensure that travel from Maiduguri to Damboa will continue. This will not deter us from following the road, artillery, and all other security agencies to give up security along the road so that such incidents will not happen again,” he added.
Governor Zulum also explained his discussions with top military officials in Abuja, including the Chief of Army Staff, the Naval Staff, and the Air Staff, where they assured him that the Nigerian military would continue to work tirelessly to address the insurgency.
“We are so happy with the response that we had from the service chiefs,” he said.
Despite the ongoing threats posed by Boko Haram, the Governor expressed confidence that Borno State would not regress to the level of insurgency it experienced in the past.
“I want to assure the people of Borno State that Insha Allah, under my watch, Boko Haram will not have the capacity to do what they did before,” he stated, stating his commitment to strengthening the state’s defences and bolstering local civilian efforts, such as the work of hunters and vigilantes.
The governor, however, promised to continue partnership with the federal government and the military, stressing that the security situation in Borno would be addressed thoroughly.
“I will keep up to the expectations of the people of Borno State by completely addressing the problem of insecurity,” he added.
Governor Zulum’s statement underline the tense security situation in Borno State, where Boko Haram insurgents continue to carry out attacks despite military efforts to quell their activities.
