Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State says despite recent happenings, the security situation in the state and the northeast region is better under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Zulum made the comment on Sunday while addressing northern elders from the Arewa Consultative Forum in Maiduguri, the Borno capital.
“From statewide statistics on affairs in the 27 local government areas since 2011, the fact is that despite the recent happenings in Borno State, the security situation in Borno State and indeed that of the Entire North East Sub-region is still far better under Buhari, and this is based on records,” Zulum said while addressing the delegation led by the chairman of the forum’s board of trustee, Ambassador Shehu Malami and its Executive Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
“For instance, unlike the years before Buhari when a number of local government were no-go-areas, we now have citizens led by our traditional rulers, safely back to Bama, Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Dikwa, Ngala, Monguno, Kukawa, Damboa, Konduga, Mafa, all of which no one could visit not talk of living there. Our emirs were all in exile. Today, Bama is coming back to live and so is Askira-Uba, Damboa, Gwoza and others. Live is even returning go Baga.”
Governor Zulum explained that this “was impossible before Buhari. In fact, it was not possible to move a few kilometres out of Maiduguri.
“Insurgents were so bold to attack and take over military facilities like the army barrack at Monguno, Bama, Giwa Barrack and Multinational Joint Task Force Headquarters at Baga to mention just a few.
“There were daily attacks bomb blasts in many parts of Maiduguri, the most populated part of the state but all of these have stopped under Buhari. These are the records and no one can dispute these records.”
According to him, he is, however, concerned about the current security situation in the region than comparing it with what happened in the past.
“The insurgents by their nature, always want to attract publicity which is very strategic for terror propaganda, so they resorted to attacking our communities and running away and of course this worries us,” the governor further noted.
Borno State and the northeast have been targets of attacks by insurgents in recent years, the latest being the killing of scores of farmers in Zabarmari in Jere Local Government Area of Borno.
The incident drew wide condemnation from within and outside Nigeria and heightened calls for the sack of Nigeria’s security chiefs.
