Zulum Tackles Information Minister Over Boko Haram’s Comments

• Insists security threat by terrorists group real 

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State says any government official taking for granted the deadly threat posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group in the North East region must be naive and living in self deceitfulness

The governor was reacting to a news report suggesting that Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, dismissed his recent concerns regarding the worrying security situation in the state.

While addressing a recent meeting with security forces in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Governor Zulum had raised an alarm over Boko Haram’s renewed attacks and kidnappings in the state with little pushback from the security forces.

Furthermore, the governor’s remarks at the said meeting hinted that authorities in the affected region are again losing ground to the insurgents.

Though the Minister has claimed that such comments attributed to him were gross misrepresentation of facts, Governor Zulum told journalists that the Information Minister may be naïve about happenings in the country if he ever volunteered such remarks.

According to the Borno Chief Executive, who expressed his administration’s commitment to continuously tackle the Boko Haram resurgence in the state, “I don’t want to join issues with the Minister of Information. I believe he is naive of what is happening in the country, he doesn’t know what is ongoing in the country.

“Our discussions during the Security Council meeting were not bad. We just raised an alarm that there is resurgence of Boko Haram activities in Borno State, and there is a need for Borno state government, the Military as well as paramilitary, to work together in order to avert the looming situation. I think this is very good advice. Nothing has been said again.

“But most importantly, I want to assure you that we have been to Abuja. We met the service chief, especially the CDS, Chief of Army Staff, Naval Staff, as well as Air staff. We received assurances from them that they will do everything possible to control the situation, and we are so happy with the response that we had from the service chiefs and the government of Bono state will continue to partner with the Nigerian military and the federal government of Nigeria with their view to reducing the menace of the insurgency.

“And I want to assure the people of Bono that Inshallah, under my watch Boko Haram will not have the capacity to do what they did before. We shall do everything possible to curtail them.

“The Government of Borno State will provide more support to the Nigerian army. We shall strengthen the resilience of our civilian GTF, hunters and vigilante and most especially, I will live up to the expectations of the people of God by completely addressing the problem of insecurity.

“I believe, when we took over from 2019 to date, there is a very serious gap. What has been happening these days will not be allowed to remain unchanged.”

The latest comments by Governor Zulum addressed reports in some media that quoted the Minister as allegedly dismissing his fears.

A statement signed by Rabiu Ibrahim, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, had explained that such reports are not only categorically false but also a gross distortion his remarks.

The statement said; “At no time did the Minister say, ‘Ignore Zulum, Boko Haram is not taking over Borno.’ Such a headline is not only sensational but deliberately crafted as a deliberate act of misinformation to stoke public misunderstanding and distract from the serious work the Federal Government is doing to address security challenges.”

The terrorist group, Boko Haram militants and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have been operating in the Northeast region of Nigeria, with deadly attacks on Nigerian security forces and civilians.

In the process, the group has killed and displaced tens of thousands of people over the years.