Governor of Borno State , Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has appealed to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to unleash stronger air power to flush out Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters from tough terrains in the Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest, Timbuktu Triangle, and Mandara Mountains.
Speaking after receiving the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Zulum stated that these areas are difficult for ground troops to properly secure
“Despite NAF’s enormous contributions to peace in Borno, we still need more air power in our Area of Responsibility, especially in hard-to-reach insurgent enclaves,” Zulum said.
The governor lauded the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other platforms, ppromising the state government’s full support to ensure mission success.
In his remarks, Air Marshal Abubakar commended Zulum’s leadership and the state’s community-driven “Borno Model” of deradicalisation and reintegration, describing it as a successful, non-kinetic approach to tackling terrorism and humanitarian crises.
“The Disarmament, Demobilization, and Deradicalization programme, focused on healing and reconciliation rather than punishment, has improved security across Borno and the wider North East,” said Abubakar.
