Zulum: Borno successfully fighting insurgency because Buhari never denied me access

Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, says a major reason the state is succeeding in tackling insecurity is that President Muhammadu Buhari never denied him access.

The governor spoke on Thursday while briefing journalists on internal security in the state, relocation of IDPs and collaboration between the state and the federal government.

Zulum described the destruction caused by insurgents — including the attack on 713 energy distribution lines and 1,600 water sources — as scary.

The governor said 22 out of 27 LGAs in the state were once under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents, with only one access road from Maiduguri.

“Today, the gradual return of peace and a reduction of cases of insecurity in Borno state, and major parts of the north-eastern region have been attributed to the commitment and collaboration of the state and federal government,” he said.

“One of the major reasons why we have been succeeding in the north-east, particularly in Borno state, is because there was never a time I requested to see Mr president and I was denied access. This is something very important.

“Whenever I had serious security situations in Borno state, within 10 to 15 minutes, I will get access to speak to Mr president. This has contributed a lot to ensuring the return of peace and stability to Borno state.”

The governor said the armed forces, police, and other security agencies, are giving the required collaboration to the state government, adding that the state’s efforts in tackling insurgency are yielding positive results.

He said with the strong support of the government, a reduction of the campaign of violence has been achieved, including a reduction in bombing incidents.

“The incidences of bomb attacks has been reduced drastically. Before then, on a daily basis, we have been witnessing bombings throughout Borno state. But this has been reduced by about 80 percent if not more than 90 percent,” he said.