North West Insecurity: Borno Governor, Zulum Cries Out Over Boko Haram Resurgence
Olufemi Orunsola
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has raised alarm over a renewed wave of Boko Haram attacks across the state, warning that recent military setbacks suggest Nigeria is "losing ground" against insurgents - even as banditry escalates geometrically in the Northwest region of the country.
Zulum raised this alarm during an emergency security meeting on Tuesday, coming a few days after bandits killed 10 people and abducted over 120 across Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.
He noted that the parallel crises highlight Nigeria's deteriorating security landscape, with both the Northeast and Northwest now facing resurgent threats.
The governor cited recent attacks in Wajirko, Sabon Gari, Wulgo and Izge where insurgents not only killed civilians and security personnel but successfully dislodged military formations - a development he called "a significant setback."
"This daily pattern of attacks without effective confrontation signals Borno is losing the gains made in recent years," Zulum stated, referencing the relative peace achieved since 2021.
This warning by Zulum re-echoes recent concerns in Northwest states, where bandits now reportedly operate with similar impunity, overrunning communities and kidnapping victims by the dozens as seen in last weekend's Katsina and Zamfara raids.
While commending federal support, Zulum urged deployment of advanced surveillance and weaponry along Borno's porous borders with Chad, Niger and Cameroon - a technological upgrade Northwest governors have similarly demanded to combat bandits exploiting forest hideouts.
The appeal comes as both regions face asymmetrical threats: Borno's jihadist insurgency and the Northwest's criminal banditry, now adopting terrorist tactics like mass abductions and reprisal killings. In Zamfara, bandits recently murdered 2 and kidnapped 60 to avenge their leaders' deaths - mirroring Boko Haram's retaliatory patterns.
As the military scrambles to respond to Tuesday's student abduction in Kebbi and Sokoto's militia attacks, Zulum's warning serves as a stark reminder: without urgent intervention, both regions risk sliding back into the worst violence of the past decade.
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