Zulum urges FG to hire mercenaries to end insurgency

The governor of Borno state and Chairman of the Northeast Governors Forum, Babagana Zulum has urged the federal government to hire mercenaries and collaborate with Nigeria’s neighbours to end insurgency.

Governor Zulum made the statement in his opening remark at the 4th meeting of the Northeast Governors Forum held in Bauchi on Wednesday, where he also lamented the low impact of military tactics in the fight against insurgency in the subregion.

Flanked by Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and deputy governors of Yobe and Taraba who represented their principals, the Borno state governor said that nothing tangible could be achieved in an unfriendly atmosphere.

“Service chiefs have been changed, expectedly, a new strategy by the new chiefs should be formed as insecurity in Northeast is taking a new turn for the worst because the tactics presently employed is having limited impact. The federal government should seek support from neighbours with a view to finding solution to end the insurgency.

“The use of hired mercenaries should also be employed to end the insurgency. And for us to permanently address the problems of insecurity, out of school children and infrastructural deficit, we must stem down corruption,” he said.

Zulum further advocated for the conversion of all boarding schools to day schools in affected places where kidnappings have occurred while also calling for the protection of critical infrastructure to avoid a repetition of a terrorist attack on electricity infrastructure that has left Borno in darkness for the last seven weeks.

Giving his welcome address, the host governor, Bala Mohammed who supported his Kaduna State counterpart’s call for the creation of State Police reiterated his belief that recruitment of locals in the Armed Forces to guard their own localities would drastically reduce insurgency in the subregion and nationwide.

He noted further that the state police if established, would provide complementary efforts for the activities of the federal police and wider coverage of police protection and other relevant engagements.