Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, weekend said ongoing surrender of Boko Haram terrorists had presented the state with two extremely difficult situations requiring stakeholders’ serious examination of the wider implications.
The governor, who spoke in Bama and Gwoza Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state while addressing military officers and community leaders, contended that stakeholders needed a well thought-out critical framework that is to either accept the surrendering terrorists, or reject them and continuing with the war.
Zulum was in Gwoza and Bama LGAs for humanitarian and other activities before taking out time to address military commanders at Brigades in Gwoza and Bama, and community leaders at the palaces of the Emir of Gwoza and Shehu of Bama.
According to him, “We (in Borno) are in a very difficult situation over the ongoing surrender by insurgents. We have to critically look between two extreme conditions and decide our future. We have to choose between an endless war or to cautiously accept the surrendered terrorists which is really painful and difficult for anyone that has lost loved ones, difficult for all of us and even for the military whose colleagues have died and for volunteers.
“No one would find it easy to accept killers of his or her parents, children and other loved ones. In the last 12 years we have been in this war, and we have lost thousands of fellow citizens. We don’t know the whereabouts of thousands of others. We don’t know whether they are alive or dead. In these 12 years, millions have been made homeless and many wealthy farmers, transporters and others have been rendered poor. In these years, we were able to cultivate maybe around three percent of the arable land. As a result, our people became dependent on food aid amid donor fatigue and potential food insecurity. In fact, the repercussions of the Boko Haram crisis are enormous and as someone who has been involved with assessment of the impacts and rebuilding efforts in the last seven years, I am in position to know the endless negative impact the Boko Haram has made in Borno.”
“Accepting Boko Haram has the risk of seriously offending the feelings of victims with potential of civil rebellion, just as there is the risk that if Boko Haram fighters willing to surrender are rejected, they can join ISWAP to swell the ranks of fighters in the bush and the path of peace becomes narrowed.
“On my way travelling to Gwoza and Bama, I saw many people cultivating their farmlands by the roadside and this is an indication of emerging peace, which we have to sustain to salvage our people. However, like I said, we must come together to carefully analyze the two extremes and come up with a workable framework.”
Zulum explained that he would engage in high level consultations with President Muhammadu Buhari, service chiefs and resident security heads, traditional rulers, elders and religious leaders, national and state assembly members, academics and other stakeholders particularly victims of the crimes perpetrated by the insurgents, so that stakeholders would critically review the situation for a framework on how to move forward.
