Zulum Meets Top Military Brass In Abuja, Seeks Renewed Push Against Insurgents

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has held separate closed-door meetings with Nigeria’s top military leadership in Abuja, indicating a renewed effort to combat the escalating insurgency in the Northeast.

The governor met separately with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar.

According to sources familiar with the high-level discussions, Governor Zulum sought a more coordinated and decisive military response to the recent surge in terrorist attacks in Borno State.

The meetings reportedly aimed to strengthen ongoing military operations, improve intelligence sharing among various security agencies, and address the root causes of the renewed insurgency.

This move comes just days after Governor Zulum expressed deep concern at an expanded security meeting in Maiduguri on Tuesday about the insurgents’ intensified attacks on civilian and military targets. He urged immediate and decisive action to keep the security situation from spiralling out of control.

The Governor’s visit to Abuja highlights the gravity of Borno State’s current security challenges and the critical need for a collaborative approach between the state government and federal military leadership.

Governor Zulum was accompanied on the crucial trip by key figures from Borno State’s political landscape. Senators Mohammed Ali Ndume, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan represented Borno South, Borno North, and Borno Central, respectively.

The delegation also included House of Representatives members Mukhtar Betera Aliyu and Engr Bukar Talba, as well as Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar.

The presence of such a powerful delegation demonstrates Borno’s leadership’s unwavering commitment to finding a long-term solution to the insurgency while also restoring peace and stability to the region.

Details of specific strategies discussed during the meetings are kept confidential, but the meetings are viewed as a critical step towards developing a stronger and more effective security response to the ongoing crisis in the Northeast.

The outcome of these discussions is eagerly anticipated by Borno State residents, who have borne the brunt of the devastating insurgency.