You are Naive About Security Situation on Ground, Zulum Carpets Idris

Governor of Borno State, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has publicly disagreed with the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, over the security situation in the state and accused the minister of being “naive” about the ongoing security challenges in the country, particularly in Borno State.

The controversy began when Governor Zulum raised concerns about the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in the state, suggesting that security forces were losing ground to the insurgents.

However, the Minister of Information was quoted as dismissing the governor’s concerns, sparking a heated debate.

In a statement, the Minister’s office denied that he had dismissed the governor’s concerns, calling the report “categorically false and a gross distortion” of his remarks. However, Governor Zulum has stood by his claims, stating that the Minister is out of touch with the reality on the ground.

“I don’t want to join issues with the Minister of Information,” Governor Zulum said in an interview with journalists. “I believe he is naive about 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.”

The governor’s comments have sparked a national debate about the government’s handling of the security situation in the country. Many have praised Governor Zulum for speaking out and demanding action from the federal government, while others have criticized him for publicly disagreeing with the Minister of Information.

Despite the controversy, Governor Zulum has reassured the people of Borno State that his administration is committed to tackling the resurgence of Boko Haram in the state. He has met with the service chiefs and received assurances that they will do everything possible to control the situation.

“We have been to Abuja. We met the service chief, especially the CDS, Chief of Army Staff, Naval Staff, as well as Air staff,” Governor Zulum said. “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 Borno 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.”

The governor has also announced plans to provide more support to the Nigerian army and to strengthen the resilience of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), hunters, and vigilante groups. He has vowed to do everything possible to curtail the activities of Boko Haram and to address the problem of insecurity in the state.