Prof. Babagana Zulum, Borno State Governor, has warned that the Boko Haram insurgency may wipe off Nigeria from the world map if not quickly contained.
He made this remark while hosting the reconstituted management board of the North East Development Commission.
During the hosting at the Council Chambers of the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri on Monday, Zulum said the continuous existence of Internally Displaced Persons camps in Local Government Areas of Borno State is a potential time bomb.
“Borno State is bordering Chad, Cameroon, and Niger Republic.
“Our borders are so porous and therefore maintaining security in the North Eastern subregion entails maintaining the security of the entire country.
“While North West and North Central and others are speaking about banditry, kidnapping, and others, ours is Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State of West Africa Province).
“It’s better for us to control it, not for the sake of Borno State.
“The hub of Boko Haram and ISWAP is Borno State.
“We have to control them.
“We have to stop the younger ones from being recruited into Boko Haram and ISWAP.
“Otherwise, in the near future, the entire Nigeria will be wiped off the map.
“And then in Borno State, in the year 2012, about 3.5 million people were displaced.
“We returned many, but still, we have over one million people, internally displaced people living in IDPS camps, that is increasing prostitution in IDP camps, that is increasing procreation without care in the IDP camps.
“There is drug abuse in the IDP camps.
“And therefore we want the intervention of the North East Development Commission.
“We want you to partner with the state government for us to close these IDP camps so that people can earn their means of livelihood by themselves.
“Otherwise, many of the people will decide to join ISWAP and Boko Haram
EagleOnline