Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has appealed to the Nigerian Army to establish a military base in Sambisa Forest, News About Nigeria reports.
The governor made this appeal while speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Army on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
He stated that having a base in the forest will help to effectively curb the activities of terrorists going on in the state and beyond.
Zulum added that it will also be of great benefit if a military base is established on the shores of Lake Chad and Mandara Mountain, which have continued to be a haven for terrorists.
“On the issue of completely ending it (insurgency), there’s a need for the government to establish a military base in Sambisa, the shores of Lake Chad, and Mandara Hills,” he stated.
Zulum noted that the borders in Borno lacked adequate surveillance and emphasised the need to secure the state bordering the three countries so as to contain the movement of small arms fueling insecurity in the north.
He reiterated his commitment to support the military in its kinetic and non-kinetic approach to tackling insurgency, adding that so far, about 190,000 repentant Boko Haram members have surrendered to the authorities.
Zulum solicited the support of stakeholders, noting that managing the huge number of repentant Boko Haram members is another crisis that needs all the support it can garner.
He therefore urged the National Assembly to ensure that adequate appropriations are made for weapons to tackle insecurity.
