Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to match words with action on the declaration of a security emergency following renewed attacks by insurgents in Borno.
Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate, made the call at the weekend amid outrage over the killing of residents in Ngoshe and the abduction of more than 100 women and children by terrorists believed to be members of Boko Haram.
The attack, which occurred last Wednesday in Gwoza Local Government Area, was reportedly carried out in a coordinated operation involving Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The terrorists allegedly overran a military base belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion before storming the community and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.
According to reports, several soldiers, the town’s Chief Imam, and some community elders were killed during the attack.
Ndume, who hails from the affected area, called on the federal government to intensify military operations against insurgents, particularly in areas known to serve as their strongholds, including Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara Mountains.
He noted that insurgents frequently launch coordinated attacks from these locations and urged the government to carry out sustained clearance operations to dismantle the camps and logistics networks of the terrorists.
“Government should walk its talks on emergency by engaging in coordinated and sustainable attacks on the targets, especially in the North-East,” Ndume said.
“They should carry out consistent clearance operations in Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains because the recent attacks were well coordinated by the insurgents.”
He explained that the Ngoshe attack was allegedly carried out by insurgents operating from the Mandara Mountains with support from fighters based in Sambisa Forest and around Lake Chad.
Ndume also urged President Tinubu to establish a security situation room within the Presidential Villa to provide regular briefings to Nigerians on the government’s efforts to tackle insurgency and banditry.
“Since the President has declared a state of emergency, he should have a situation room in his office in the Villa and use that to brief Nigerians directly from time to time,” he said.
The lawmaker further suggested the establishment of Air Components Centres across the three geopolitical zones in Northern Nigeria, equipped with attack helicopters to respond swiftly to security threats.
While commending the military for eventually intervening in Ngoshe, Ndume said the response came late and emphasized the need for improved operational readiness.
He also renewed his call for the frontloading of security agencies’ budgets to accelerate the procurement of arms and ammunition, expressing concern that current funding allocations are insufficient to match the sophisticated weaponry reportedly in the hands of insurgent groups.
“The Nigerian Army budget is insignificant compared to the overall national budget. It should be frontloaded to allow for quicker procurement of needed equipment,” he said.
Ndume added that if the country cannot immediately acquire attack helicopters, the government should consider hiring them to support operations in areas identified as security hotspots.
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