The Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has raised an alarm warning that the terrorist group known as Boko Haram may wipe Nigeria off the map if the necessary precautions are not taken.
Zulum issued the warning yesterday while hosting the reconstituted management board of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) at the council chambers of the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri.
The governor pointed out that the continuous existence of IDP camps in local government areas of Borno State is a potential time bomb as they serve as a recruitment ground for Boko Haram and ISWAP.
He said: ‘The position of Borno State on the map of Nigeria is very important to all of us. Borno State is bordering Chad, Cameroon, and Niger Republic. Our borders are so porous and therefore maintaining security in the North-Eastern sub-region entails maintaining the security of the entire country.
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“While North-West and North-Central and others are speaking about banditry, kidnapping, and others, ours is Boko Haram and ISWAP. It’s better for us to control it, not for the sake of Borno State. The hub of Boko Haram and ISWAP is Borno State. We have to control them.
“We have to stop the younger ones from being recruited into Boko Haram and ISWAP, otherwise, in the near future, the entire Nigeria will be wiped off the map.”
While lamenting the number of people in IDPs, Zulum said the development has worsened the plight of the people
‘And then in Borno State, in the year 2012, about 3.5 million people were displaced. We returned many but still, we have over one million people: internally displaced people living in IDPS camps – that is increasing prostitution in IDP camps, that is increasing procreation without care in the IDP camps. There is drug abuse in the IDP camps,” Zulum added.
‘And therefore we want the intervention of the North East Development Commission. We want you to partner with the state government for us to close these IDP camps so that people can earn their means of livelihood by themselves.
‘Otherwise, many of the people will decide to join ISWAP and Boko Haram. These people who are living in IDP camps are a matter of great concern to all of us. On the assumption of duty, I promised the people of Borno State that I’d close all official camps that are inside Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and we did so with the help of Almighty Allah.
‘Now my next agenda is to see how we shall close all the IDP camps that are in the local government areas without which there shall be no peace.