Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has voiced deep concern following a Boko Haram assault in Mafa that reportedly involved the use of drones against Nigerian troops.
Zulum, who visited the town on Friday to assess the aftermath of the early Thursday attack, said he was alarmed that despite credible intelligence warning of an impending strike, the assault still succeeded.
“Honestly speaking, we have credible intelligence that Mafa will be attacked, and it has been duly circulated to all relevant authorities. I believe there is a need for us to come together, including the state and federal governments, as well as the military high command, to identify the gaps and address them directly,” the governor said.
He added, “I believe there might be sabotage within that has to be identified and addressed. We don’t have to blame each other; we have to come together and resolve this situation.”
Expressing worry over the terrorists’ use of aerial technology, Zulum said, “One thing I want to comment on is the issue of drones. This is frightening. In Dikwa, I was told drones were used. The proliferation of drones, particularly in the hands of non-state actors, is of great concern for the entire country. We have to do something to stop the rampant use of armed drones.”
The governor described the development as a serious national security challenge and urged the Federal Government to immediately review and reinforce the country’s air defence systems.
“Our borders need to be strengthened and our airspace needs to be strengthened as well. This is something that we need to address urgently; this is not an issue confined to Borno alone. This is the right time for the security architecture to thoroughly look into strengthening the capability of our airspace to curtail the use of armed drones by terrorists,” Zulum said.
While commending the Nigerian Armed Forces for their bravery, Zulum urged residents to support security operations by providing credible information about suspicious activities.
“We are here to commiserate with the victims over what happened yesterday and build the confidence of our people,” he said. “I urge the community to be vigilant and report credible information to the Nigerian Armed Forces. The members of the CJTF should also be resilient enough to complement the effort of the Army.”
