Borno governor warns that Boko Haram is on the rise again with increased attacks and kidnapping

GOVERNOR Babagana Zulum of Borno State has expressed fears that terrorist attacks appear to be on the rise again as over recent weeks Boko Haram has stepped up its activities including kidnapping with no response from the security services.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has been fighting the Nigerian state as it seeks to establish a purist Islamic theocracy across the northeast of the country. Islamic State of West Africa (Iswap), later broke away from Boko Haram and ever since then, the two groups have held sway over the area, terrorising the local population.

Over the last few years, things have been a bit quiet but according to Governor Zulum, there has been an increase in terrorist activities over recent weeks. Speaking during a meeting with security forces in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the governor added that Boko Haram has recently increased its attacks, dislodging some military formations in several districts, killing both civilians and security personnel.

According to the governor, the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities, which occur almost on a daily basis and without confrontation, signal that Borno State is losing ground. He added:  “It is a setback in the fragile state of Borno and the North East region.”

In the recent past, the Nigerian military had acknowledged that Boko Haram has adapted its tactics over time, including the use of drones for surveillance and attacks. Governor Zulum has thus urged Nigeria to intensify its efforts in deploying technological warfare to stem the tide of renewed attacks that the terrorists have begun launching lately.

Nigeria’s military activities in the northeast has been further complicated by  the withdrawal of Niger Republic from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which combats armed Islamist groups in the Lake Chad region. A regional body, the MNJTF includes soldiers from Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon.