The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has asked the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify military operations against terrorists operating in Nigeria’s North-East.
Ndume said the Federal Government must match its declaration of an emergency on security with decisive and sustained action on the battlefield.
According to him, security forces must conduct coordinated clearance operations in known insurgent strongholds such as Sambisa Forest, the Lake Chad basin, and the Mandara Mountains.
The lawmaker made the call on Sunday while reacting to the recent attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. The attack, blamed on terrorists linked to Boko Haram, left more than 50 residents dead. Many others were reportedly abducted, including over one hundred women and children.
The assault also claimed the lives of several soldiers who attempted to repel the attackers. Community leaders and the chief Imam of the town were among those killed.
Ndume said the incident shows that insurgents still move across their traditional hideouts with ease. He warned that the attacks were carefully coordinated and involved fighters operating from different locations across the region.
He said, “Government should walk its talk on emergency by engaging in coordinated and sustainable attacks on the targets, especially in the North-East.
“They should carry out consistent clearance operations in Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara because the recent attacks were well coordinated by the insurgents.
“For example, the Ngoshe massacre was carried out by the insurgents from the Mandara mountains, assisted by others from Sambisa and Lake Chad, using their known routes, including the Mandara mountains, Lake Chad, and Sambisa.
“Since the President has declared a state of emergency, he should have a situation room in his office in the Villa. He should use that to brief Nigerians directly. They want to hear from him from time to time.”
The senator also called for improved funding of the Nigerian military. He said defence allocations should be released early to enable the armed forces procure weapons and other critical equipment needed to combat insurgency.
According to him, the current budgetary provision for the Nigerian Army is too small when compared to the scale of the security challenges facing the country.
“The Nigerian Army budget is insignificant compared to what is in the budget; that’s less than 10 percent of the budget, and the Nigerian Army budget should be front-loaded,” he stated.
Ndume has repeatedly raised concerns about the resurgence of attacks in parts of Borno and neighbouring states.