Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri November 5, 2019.
The chairman of Senate Committee on Army; Sen. Mohammed Ndume has said that Boko Haram terrorists are “still hiding” in three locations of Northeast. Ndume disclosed this Tuesday at a security summit convened by Inspector General of Police (IGP); Mohammed Adamu; held in Maiduguri, Borno state capital. He said that the insurgents are still hibernating on fringes of Lake Chad, Mandara Mountains and Sambisa Forests of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. He said: “We know that the remaining three locations of insurgents are; in the Lake Chad region, Mandara Mountains and the Sambisa Forest in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. “With the current technology, the Theatre Commander said the last time that within three months they can end this war.”
Ndume, who represented the Senate President Ahmed Lawan at the summit, however; regretted the low budgetary allocations for security. He stated that the fight cannot be won with the conventional army tactics, meagre budgetary allocations and inadequate personnel by the army and the police in the country. His words: “The army is doing well but it’s not enough because we have not seeing the end of it. Let me say that we cannot fight a war on this vast land that we have with only 150, 000 soldiers. “Right now, the population of the Nigerian Army is 150, 000 plus the 4,000 recently released which makes it 160,000 personal. We cannot fight this war with have less than 400, 000 police. “We cannot also police with what is budgeted for this year for the police.
The constitution says the security and welfares of the people are paramount. “How can a meagre budgetary allocation for police, while N100 billion for the military?” He also urged the North East Development Commission (NEDC) headed by Mohammed Alkali; to expend its N35 billion budget before the end of the year, warning the commission will have to lose the money with the TSA system of federal government. He called on the Commission to lease with Borno Government and spend the money on the displaced people that who want to return to their communities and also provide money for them to start a new life.
