Zulum calls for recruitment of additional 100, 000 soldiers to tackle Boko Haram terrorists

Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, on Thursday called for the recruitment of at least 100,000 additional soldiers to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.

The governor, who made the call when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence paid him a courtesy call at the Council Chamber of the Government House Maiduguri, suggested that at least 50,000 persons from the state should be engaged by the military to tackle the terrorists.

He also decried the lack of manpower in the military and called for technological approach to the counter-terrorism campaign.

Zulum said:” Let me first and foremost welcome you to Borno State for coming to sympathise with us over what is happening in the state. And also for the interface you have initiated with the Nigerian military as well as the government of Borno State with a view to finding a solution to our lingering security problems.

“When the President and the Commander – in – Chief visited Borno State, I categorically mentioned some few things to him. The first thing that that I did was to acknowledge the fact that indeed federal government under his leadership and the Nigerian military have done well between the between May 2015 towards the beginning.

“Notwithstanding these gains, between March 2019 to date, we have experienced horrific and spontaneous attacks throughout the state. Therefore, I am pleading to Mr. President and the Nigerian military to adopt the strategy of the period between 2016 to 2017, that we almost celebrated the defeat of the Boko Haram insurgency.

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“The war against Boko Haram terrorists cannot be competently fought and successfully won without manpower, technology and proper funding. You cannot fight this insurgency to an end without technology and without manpower and without funding.

“Take my words, the military don’t have the manpower, they don’t have the equipment. Kindly advise the Speaker and the Senate President to tell Mr. President to approve the massive recruitment of soldiers.

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