Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, has called on Federal Government to collaborate with Chad, Niger, Cameroon and other countries to take fight to insurgents’ hideouts.
According to him, the Boko Haram hideouts are in Sambisa Forest, Lake Chad region and Mandara Hills in Borno Adamawa states.
Zulum made the call Sunday at the burial ceremony of 53 slain farmers in Zabarmari community of the state.
The over a decade long insurgency, has also claimed 36, 000 lives with property worth $9.2 billion (about N3.42 trillion) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The farmers were harvesting their rice fields on Saturday in the Zabarmari/Gongulong axis, when insurgents attacked them, and slit throats of 53 farmers, while 66 others were also feared missing.
President Muhammadu Buhari also yesterday condemns the killings of farmers, while working on their farmlands in the community.
While appreciating the efforts of the Nigerian military, he said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should listen to the calls of our people to end the ‘madness of insurgents.”
He said that the call was to ensure formation of the coalition for us to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists.
His words: “While we are going back to Maiduguri, by God’s willing, within a few days, we shall re-strategise and ensure the entire areas of Zabarmari/Gongulong axis is fully secured.”
He also assured that Civilian JTF and hunters are recruited, so that the people take the fight to all nooks and crannies of the axis.
On how to end war, the Governor said: “We shall ensure recruitment of Civilian JTF and hunters, so that our people will take the war to nooks and crannies of axis.
“We can provided them with certain logistics, while we can still appeal to the military, as well as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to strengthen the support with a view of defeating the terrorists.”
He noted that it is not necessary to engage the police in the fight against insurgents.
Instead, he said: “We’re asking the federal government to provide opportunities for youths to be recruited into Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).”
He said the federal government should look into strengthening the operations of Civilian JTF and hunters, as the people are not happy over insurgents’ killing of 53 farmers.
“I think that will solve the entire problem that has claimed many lives and property,” he said.
