MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (CHATNEWSTV) — Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has warned that Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants are regrouping in remote areas near Lake Chad and the Mandara Hills within the Sambisa Forest, raising fresh security concerns in Nigeria’s northeast.
Zulum sounded the alarm Thursday during a meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa, and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle in Maiduguri.
“What we are facing now is… we do military exercises, and after some time, we disengage,” Zulum said. “The Boko Haram and ISWAP members will again come and take over those areas that were hitherto regained.”
The governor said insurgents continue to thrive in the Tumbus waterways along Lake Chad, which remain largely untouched by military operations. “It has been a breeding ground for the insurgents,” he said. “They can get money, livelihoods, and everything in that water.”
Zulum called for continuous military operations rather than intermittent missions, citing manpower shortages and porous borders with Sahelian countries as key challenges. He warned that without securing the Sahel region, “Nigeria will never be secure.”
“There is a difference between Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits,” he said. “ISWAP and Boko Haram are terrorists getting support internationally.”
The governor urged the Defence Ministry to deploy more trained personnel, sophisticated drones, attack helicopters, and anti-drone technology to confront the evolving threats.
“The last attack that happened in Wulgo was carried out with the support of armed drones,” he said. “This is the time for the Nigerian military to rise again and procure sophisticated drones.”
Zulum also emphasized the importance of non-kinetic approaches alongside military efforts, noting that more than 300,000 former Boko Haram members had surrendered in the past three years.
In response, Defence Minister Badaru pledged greater federal support, including the deployment of more troops and resources to bolster ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in the region.
