Gov’s aide faults Buhari’s claim that Borno residents collude with Boko Haram

The Special Adviser to the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Public Relations and Strategy, Isa Gusau, has said that an allegation made by President Muhammadu Buhari, that Boko Haram was succeeding due to the collaboration of residents, is wrong.

Gusau who was reacting to comments earlier made by President Buhari on Monday, said that it was wrong of anyone to say that the residents and the traditional leaders were not doing enough to curtail insecurity in the state.

Speaking further, Gusau who however did not mention the President’s name said that no fewer that 1,000 youths in Borno State had been killed in the fight against insurgency while some traditional rulers have also been hacked to death for giving information on the activities of insurgents to security agencies.

Gusau said; “The fact remains that we must make concerted efforts to acknowledge that a lot of people in Borno State are giving everything in the fight against Boko Haram.

“If I were to be honest with you, I usually feel very bad when I hear anyone raising questions about the sincerity of the people of Borno State in the fight against Boko Haram. I told a story two days ago.

Read also: Army foils Boko Haram attack on Damaturu

“In 2014, I and the former governor with whom I worked went to Konduga. On our way to Konduga, there was an attack in Dalori. A woman and her husband approached the governor and were shouting at the top of their voices.

“They said one of their sons is a member of Boko Haram, he has escaped from the bush and has been hiding in our house for the last six days. I want your Excellency to assign security aides to pick him up. They picked him up. This is the extent of commitment.

“From 2013 till date, more than 26,000 youths in Borno, sons and daughters of Borno, they didn’t fall from the moon, have given their lives in the fight against Boko Haram. More than 1,000 of them have been killed in the last two years.

“And if you look back at how Boko Haram began to operate in 2010, they started by the gradual assassination of district heads. They killed a number of district heads, a number of traditional rulers. They killed the Emir of Gworza, they have sacked many.

READ ALSO: SERAP gives Nigerian govt 7 days to disclose spending of recovered Abacha loot since 1999

“Why did they do that? Because they know that these district heads are very critical in generating intelligence within the community. It got to a point where when you report a thing about Boko Haram, you get killed the following day.

“So, when you find people who are living in trauma, people who are displaced, who are suffering and somebody begin to raise suspicions on their level of commitment, you end up demoralising them. So, I think it is one issue that as a country, we need to take seriously and address,” he added.

Recall that President Buhari who paid a sympathy visit to Maiduguri last week stated that, “Boko Haram or whatever they are cannot come to Maiduguri or its environs without the local leadership knowing; the local leadership is in charge of security in their own respective areas”.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now