By Deborah Hassan
The North-East Governors’ Forum has disclosed plans to establish a regional security outfit to confront insurgents in the region.
According to the group, the need for the regional security outfit became necessary because the Federal Government had not shown commitment to ending the insurgency ravaging the region.
Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, who is the chairman of the forum, disclosed this in a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the 4th North-East Governors’ Forum at the Government House, Bauchi, on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
He said the Civilian Joint Task Force in the region would be drafted for the regional security outfit, in consultation with the military and the Nigeria Police Force.
The Governor urged the Federal Government to show more commitment to ending insurgency in the region by seeking support from the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun and Niger, for a joint action.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to seek support from our neighbouring countries, especially the Republic of Chad, Cameroon and Niger, with a view to providing joint action that will lead to the end of this crisis,” he said.
Zulum continued, “The Federal Government has to look at the possibility of involving the mercenaries because it seems the commitment is not there. Therefore, for us to end this insurgency, we must be committed enough, we must bring in external support and hire mercenaries to end this insurgency.
“On our part, in addition to the logical, logistical and financial support we have been rendering to the armed forces in their fight against general insecurity in the sub-region, we should also look into the possibility of forming a security outfit within the ambit of constitutional precedence and operational feasibility as has been done in other parts of the country.”
On his part, the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, while alluding the deteriorating security situation in the country, particularly in the North-East, to their failure, also expressed worry about the recent escalation of insecurity in the region which state governments must address headlong.
Other Governors present at the meeting include that of Gombe, Inuwa Yahaya; Adamawa, Umaru Fintiri; Yobe,, Mai Mala Buni, was represented by his deputy, Idi Gubana, and that of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, was also represented by his deputy, Haruna Manu.