Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has alleged that some Nigerian politicians and members of the military are acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram terrorists.
Speaking during an interview on Breakfast Central aired by News Central on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Zulum expressed deep concern over internal sabotage undermining efforts to end the insurgency in the North-East. He vowed to take decisive action against those aiding the enemy from within.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, among politicians, and even within communities. What we must do now is strengthen our intelligence capabilities and deal with these saboteurs ruthlessly,” the governor declared.
Zulum emphasized that the country must move away from what he called “contractocracy” — a system plagued by mismanaged contracts and inefficiencies — and instead focus on genuine, coordinated action. “If we do the right thing, this madness can end in six months. We must stop politicizing insecurity,” he said.
Addressing the issue of surrendered Boko Haram fighters, Zulum acknowledged that not all have fully reformed but stressed that the vast majority have embraced peace and are contributing positively to society.
“I won’t say 100% of those who surrendered are completely reformed, but I can assure you that over 99% are no longer involved in terrorism,” he noted.
The governor reiterated the importance of combining both military (kinetic) and non-military (non-kinetic) strategies to effectively combat insurgency.
“Insurgency can never be resolved through military force alone. We must also address the socio-political and economic roots of the crisis. Our non-kinetic approaches, supported by the Nigerian military, have already yielded encouraging results,” Zulum added.