Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to urgently launch a full-scale offensive on terrorist strongholds in the Tumbus Islands of Lake Chad, Mandara Hills, and the Sambisa Game Reserve, saying a decisive push is needed to “end their madness.”
Zulum made the appeal on Tuesday in Maiduguri while receiving the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, at the Government House.
The governor described the Tumbus Islands as the main safe haven of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), expressing concern that the area has yet to be comprehensively cleared despite years of counter-insurgency efforts.
“A thorough military operation that involves the Navy, Air Force and Army, purposely intended to rid us of the Tumbus, has never been conducted,” Zulum said.
“If we want to bring down insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria, we must address the challenges we are facing in Lake Chad. The area has provided a safe haven for the terrorists; this is our major problem now.”
He added that Sambisa and Mandara Hills remain two key enclaves for insurgents and called for a coordinated, multi-service operation to flush out the remaining fighters.
Zulum also urged the Nigerian Air Force to deploy more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the North-East theatre to enhance intelligence, surveillance and precision strikes.
He proposed that the top command and control structures of the military hold a strategic security retreat in Maiduguri, to reassess tactics and jointly plan the next phase of operations.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for his continued support to the armed forces, Zulum appealed for additional funding to acquire modern hardware required for effective counter-insurgency operations.
Earlier, Air Marshal Aneke acknowledged the geostrategic importance of Borno State, noting that its borders and position within the Lake Chad Basin make it central to efforts to secure the North-East and curb cross-border terrorism and smuggling.
He said the Nigerian Air Force considers the restoration of lasting peace in Borno both an operational and moral imperative, and has already ordered greater emphasis on:
- Operational readiness
- Integration with ground forces
- “Intelligent application of airpower” to support stabilisation efforts across the region
Zulum’s latest call underscores ongoing concerns that, despite notable gains by the military, entrenched terrorist cells in Lake Chad, Sambisa and Mandara Hills continue to threaten stability in Borno and beyond.
