Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has dropped a massive bombshell, alleging that Boko Haram’s informants are embedded among Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces.
The Governor claimed some politicians and soldiers are actively undermining efforts to combat insurgency in the north-east.
Zulum made this known while speaking during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Although the governor failed to drop names of Boko Haram’s informants, he vowed to strengthen the state’s intelligence network and deal with saboteurs “ruthlessly” to curb the terrorist group’s activities.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities. What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly,” Zulum asserted.
Zulum’s statements come amid a resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in Borno State.
The statement also comes amid widespread that some of Boko Haram’s informants are high-profile people within Nigerian politics.
Speaking further during the interview, Zulum urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rely on ground-level intelligence and professional military advice to address the crisis effectively.
He criticized the “contractocracy” within the security architecture, calling for its removal to end the insurgency within six months.
“Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness,” he asserted.
Commenting on the controversial program for rehabilitating surrendered Boko Haram fighters, Zulum noted that over 500,000 former insurgents have surrendered, with more than 99% no longer involved in terrorist activities.
While acknowledging that some may relapse, he defended the deradicalization and reintegration efforts as largely successful.
“I cannot completely say that 100% of those people who have surrendered are doing the right thing, but I want to assure you that over 99% are doing well and are not participating in the ongoing terrorism,” he added.
