Borno gov to military: Take fight to insurgents’ enclaves

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has called on the military and other security agencies to take the fight to Boko Haram insurgents’ enclaves, to end insurgency  in the country.
Zulum made the call at a one-day North-East Security Summit, on Tuesday in Maiduguri.
The summit was convened by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to deliberate and draw a roadmap to provide durable solutions to insurgency, check criminal activities and enhance security in the region.
Zulum said that successful defeat of the insurgents  could be achieved by taking the fight to their enclaves.
He added that state governments in the region must adopt proactive steps to address the root causes of the insurgency which were not limited to poverty,  unemployment and infrastructural decay.
The governor noted that the summit would provide solution to the crisis and develop strategies to achieve sustainable social and economic development of the region.
“However, the issue of insurgency can be reduced to the bearest minimum by taking the fight to the terrorists.
“The whereabouts of the insurgents is well known to all of us; it is well known to the traditional rulers, military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Security Service (DSS).
“The only solution is to take the fight to corridors of the insurgents.
“Another most important thing we must understand in the sub-region is the issue of restoring civil authorities in communities.
“We have to understand that absence of human population is largely responsible for the thriving insurgency in some areas.
“Under no circumstances should governors of the northeast region allow its citizens to be displaced again.
“We are ever ready to support the military and police to ensure that these criminals are wiped out”.
Zulum urged the military, police and other security agencies to support members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), vigilante  groups and hunters, to enable them contribute to the counter insurgency campaign.
He also called on the military to lift the ban on economic activities in Baga and other parts of the state, noting that the call was imperative to reduce poverty and end insurgency.
While commanding the military over the successes recorded in the counter insurgency campaign, Zulum reiterated his administration’s commitments to addressing humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency.
Also speaking, Governor Maimala Buni of Yobe State lauded the military over the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency and peace building process in the state.
Buni noted that though military effort was necessary to end insurgency but there was need to explore other sources to end the crisis.
“We must actively explore and engage in dialogue. As records show, no conflict of this nature anywhere in the world has ever been resolved solely by military means.
“We, therefore, suggest that we should seek and use back channels to open communications and contacts that both sides could trust as credible. Such communications and contacts should necessarily lead to something meaningful.
“We also hold the view that the military should open or reinforce a safe haven for insurgents who desire to defect from the insurgency or repent from their demonstrably evil ways,” Buni said.
The governor stressed the need for the state governmrnts to engage their citizens in the quest for lasting peace, adding that: “This is something that we are already doing in Yobe State”.
On his part, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, said the summit was organised as part of community policing measure to encourage dialogue and get experts contributions on security to enhance protection of lives and property.
Adamu revealed that the Force had conducted similar exercises in the northwest and southwest zones, to encourage community and stakeholders engagement in security issues.
He said that the police had initiated sound programmes to promote public trust, partnership and inclusion of traditional methods to enhance security network.
Adamu added that the force had embarked on sensitization activities through community engagement to deal with challenges of emerging crimes in the society.
The IGP noted that the Force has recorded significant  successes in the fight against kidnapping and banditry in the northwest, sequel to the adoption of recommendations of the security summit.
Adamu added that the police had contributed positively to the counter insurgency campaign and peace restoration in the northeast.
He reiterated the police commitments to guaranteeing safety of lives of the people through collaboration with security agencies, hunters, vigilante and organizations in the region.
The summit was attended by deputy governors of Adamawa and Bauchi states, members of the national and state assemblies in the region.
The summit was also attended by heads of military, police, customs,  immigration, prisons, NSCDC, DSS and other security agencies in the region.
Others were community and religious leaders as well as representatives of humanitarian and development organisations.