The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has said the whereabouts of no fewer than 10 per cent of Borno’s residents are unknown due to activities of insurgents.
The governor, who backed the reintegration of surrendered insurgents, said it was time to end the war.
Zulum spoke to journalists after a meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The governor revealed that over 100,000 people had been killed in the 12-year insurgency ravaging the North-East, noting that many of those who surrendered were women and children who were forced to join the insurgents and trained to wield AK-47 rifle.
The governor added that those who had surrendered would be reintegrated back into society as “no law recommends the killing of surrendered insurgents.”
He also affirmed that victims of insurgency would be well taken care of, saying, “They will not be left behind.”
The governor, who said he had been attacked by the insurgents about 50 times, promised to support victims of insurgents, especially those who lost their parents.
Zulum said: “I came to brief Mr President about the ongoing surrender by insurgents. I think, to me, and the greater majority of people of Borno State, this is a very good development.
“In the last 12 years, thousands of lives were lost, people have completely lost their means of livelihood. We have a total number of over 50,000 orphans and widows; these are official figures.
“The unofficial figures are more than this, and we were able to cultivate not more than three per cent of our total arable land because of the insurgency and right now, the whereabouts of not less than 10 per cent of people of Borno State is not known to all of us at all.
“This is a very serious matter and I think the report of the surrendering of the insurgents, to me in particular and to the greater people of Borno State, is a very welcomed development. Unless we want to continue with an endless war, I see no reason why we should reject those that are willing to surrender.”
He explained that not all the surrendering insurgents could be categorised as criminals as many of them were also victims, forcefully conscripted into terrorism at very young ages.
He said it would be dangerous to reject those surrendering as this is the only way to end the 12-year security crisis in the state and the entire Northeast.
“Deepening internal democracy and social cohesion is a prelude to sustainable peace in any nation. Therefore, we’re not aware of the negative effects of this programme, but that is why we want to see the involvement of the Federal Government on a large scale.
“We are going back to Maiduguri to have wider consultations with the victims, the traditional rulers and the generality of the people of Borno State, the major stakeholders, including the Nigerian Army, the civilian JTF and others, to develop a framework that will ensure the sustainability of this programme.
“But mind you, among those that have surrendered, some are innocent, that were forcefully conscripted into this programme.
“Some are teenagers below the ages of 11, 12, who can handle AK-47 and there’s one very important thing that Nigerians need to understand; if this issue of Boko Haram, insurgency is not resolved, I believe it will never end because it is generational.
“Those that came out from the bush you can see one person has two wives, three wives in the bush; he’s having 10 children. These children are well trained to behave in such a manner. What is this manner? Carrying AK-47 and it’s a generation.
“Therefore, the best possible option for us to resolve this issue is by involving the Federal Government because the Federal Government is a major stakeholder. The President has agreed to provide the leadership.”
Recounting his experience and that of the people of the state in the 12-year insurgency, Zulum said, “I’ve been in this for the last 11 or 12 years. I was attacked more than 40 to 50 times; I know the magnitude of this problem. More than 100,000 people were killed, I’m telling you. Therefore, I’m in total support of this ongoing surrender by the insurgents, we support them and those who have surrendered shall be dealt with according to the extant rules and regulations.
“The Government of Borno State is never contemplating giving a dime for those insurgents in the bush to surrender. No. Anybody who wishes to surrender, then the government will now look into the possibility of accepting them, developing a framework, rehabilitating them, while the issue of reintegrating them shall be discussed further.
“Most importantly, the victims shall not be left behind, I want to support the victimse,” he said.
On the number of those that have surrendered, he said, “right now, we have about 2, 600 in our custody, but mind you, this number is inclusive of their children and their wives and extended families.”
