Borno Governor Zulum reveals Boko Haram collusion within Nigeria’s elite, vows to crush contractocracy with ruthless intelligence overhaul.
MAIDUGURI, Borno – Governor Babagana Zulum’s explosive revelation that Boko Haram insurgents have informants embedded within Nigeria’s political elite and armed forces strikes at the very heart of the nation’s faltering security architecture.
In an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, Zulum did not mince words: he accused “politicians, members of the Nigerian armed forces and communities” of colluding with terrorists, and vowed to “strengthen our intelligence and deal with them ruthlessly.”
This is more than another political soundbite—this is a clarion call to expose and eradicate the rot that has long undermined Nigeria’s fight against terror.
A Scandalous Breach of Trust
It is one thing for Boko Haram to stalk villages and military outposts; it is quite another for the group to enjoy inside information from those sworn to protect the nation. Zulum’s charges lay bare a scandalous breach of trust that demands immediate and uncompromising action.
When elected representatives, defence officers and bureaucrats feed intelligence directly to terrorists, they transform from public servants into saboteurs.
They turn contract payments into blood money, supply routes into kill zones, and national loyalty into betrayal for the highest bidder.
Contractocracy: The Emperor’s New Clothes
Zulum lambasted “contractocracy” as the cancer at the core of the crisis. Under this perverse system, private contractors—often with political backing—inflate security budgets, supply substandard equipment, and skim millions while soldiers fight with rusted rifles and dodgy radios.
Meanwhile, the masterminds of these schemes pocket the difference. Zulum insists that in six months, by rooting out these profiteers and informants, “we can put an end to this madness.”
Such a deadline may sound optimistic, but the governor’s track record in Borno suggests he is as formidable an administrator as he is a critic.
The Limits of Kinetic Force
The governor was at pains to stress that military action alone cannot vanquish insurgency. “Insurgency will never be ended by kinetic measures alone,” he declared. Instead, he championed a balanced strategy combining hard power with social, political and economic interventions.
This non-kinetic approach has, in his view, yielded positive results—particularly among the more than half-million former fighters who have surrendered under his watch.
Zulum conceded that a handful may relapse, but emphasised that over 99% have reformed and now contribute to community rebuilding, agriculture and local commerce.
Crisis of Equipment and Technology
If corruption and collusion are one front of this multifaceted war, then the yawning gap in military hardware is another. Zulum did not spare the armed forces from criticism, accusing them of lacking the “necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency,” while terrorists enjoy superior technology.
Drones, encrypted communications and guerrilla tactics give Boko Haram an asymmetric edge that cheap uniforms and legacy weapons cannot match.
Addressing this imbalance requires more than a cheque from Abuja—it demands transparent procurement, accountability for end-users, and oversight mechanisms that deter graft.
Tinubu: Listen to Your Generals
In a pointed appeal to President Bola Tinubu, Zulum urged the president to value ground-level intelligence and professional military advice over political posturing.
“The President of Nigeria needs to listen to those who can differentiate their left from their right,” he said, alluding to the muddled counsel that often emanates from power brokers with little understanding of frontier warfare.
The governor’s call to “provide the forest guard immediately” underscores the need for specialised units trained in local terrain—a model that has worked in parts of the Niger Delta and could be replicated in the Sahel-Savannah belt.
The Human Cost and Moral Imperative
Behind the statistics and strategic debates lie the untold suffering of millions of Nigerians—displaced families, maimed children and devastated towns.
Zulum’s criticism of political interference and collusion is not mere rhetoric; it is a moral imperative to stem the bloodletting.
By exposing rot within the system, he forces Nigerians to confront the uncomfortable truth that insurgency thrives when virtue is sacrificed at the altar of greed.
Path to Redemption—or Ruin
Zulum’s six-month ultimatum to eradicate contractocracy raises the stakes for Abuja and state governments alike.
Failure to deliver will only embolden insurgents and their accomplices, deepen public distrust, and prolong the knife-edge of insecurity that cripples the economy.
Success, on the other hand, could usher in a new era of co-ordinated governance, robust intelligence sharing, and community-led salvation.
The clock is ticking, and the governor has drawn a line in the sand.
In this defining moment, Nigerians must ask themselves: will we stand by as terror’s tentacles spread into our corridors of power, or will we rally behind leaders like Zulum who expose uncomfortable truths and demand ruthless accountability?
The answer will shape the future of Nigeria’s security and the very soul of our democracy.
- Additional report by Suleiman Adamu, Atlantic Post National Security Correspondent
