Ndume urges FG to match security emergency declaration with decisive action after Borno attack

By Our Correspondent

Amid public outrage over last week’s killings of residents in Ngoshe, Borno State, and the abduction of more than 100 women and children by Boko Haram terrorists, former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to match his declaration of a security emergency with concrete action.

Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate, made the call at the weekend in a statement.
It would be recalled that Boko Haram fighters, alongside members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), launched coordinated attacks last Wednesday on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. The attackers reportedly killed several soldiers, the town’s Chief Imam, and some community elders.
According to media reports, the terrorists first targeted a military base belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion before advancing into the community and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.
Investigations also indicate that President Tinubu had in November last year declared a nationwide security emergency and ordered additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.
Ndume, whose constituency includes the affected community, urged the President to direct security agencies to intensify sustained clearance operations in known insurgent strongholds such as the Lake Chad region, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara Mountains. He described these areas as major bases from which insurgents launch repeated attacks.
He also advised the President to regularly brief Nigerians on the government’s efforts to tackle banditry and insurgency, particularly in the three northern zones.
“Government should match its declaration of emergency with coordinated and sustained offensives against insurgent targets, especially in the North-East. Consistent clearance operations must be carried out in Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara Mountains because the recent attacks were carefully coordinated by the insurgents,” he said.
Ndume explained that the Ngoshe attack was executed by fighters who moved from the Mandara Mountains, with support from other insurgent groups operating from Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region, using familiar routes across the three locations.
“Since the President has declared a state of emergency, he should establish a situation room in his office at the Presidential Villa. Through this platform, he can provide Nigerians with regular updates on security developments. Citizens want to hear directly from him periodically,” the senator added.
He also proposed the establishment of Air Component Centres in the three northern geopolitical zones, with attack helicopters deployed to respond quickly to security threats.
While acknowledging the military’s response to the Ngoshe attack, Ndume said the intervention came late but still deserved commendation.
The former Senate Chief Whip also renewed his call for the frontloading of security budgets to enable faster procurement of weapons and ammunition. He expressed concern that current budgetary allocations to the military remain inadequate, especially in the face of the sophisticated weapons reportedly in the possession of terrorist groups.
“The Nigerian Army’s budget is insignificant compared to the overall national budget. It is less than 10 per cent, and it should be frontloaded to ensure rapid procurement of necessary equipment,” he said.
He further urged the President to ensure that the budgets of all security agencies are frontloaded.
“Even if the country cannot immediately purchase attack helicopters, the government should consider hiring them for deployment to identified security flashpoints,” Ndume stated.