Senator Ali Ndume represents Borno South Senatorial District and is one of the highest-ranking senators in the Senate. In this interview, Ndume laments that the military lacks adequate equipment to fight Boko Haram insurgents with their sophisticated weapons. He commends President Bola Tinubu for declaring a state of emergency on security but tasks the president to step up his game in terms of provision of equipment and boosting the morale of the soldiers. Excerpts:

Recently, the soldiers fighting insurgency in your constituency reportedly recorded heavy casualties from an insurgent attack. What happened? What happened in Ngoshe is that the military there lacked the adequate equipment and ammunition, MRAPs. That is why they had to do a tactical withdrawal when the terrorists struck and then reassemble and come back to take Ngoshe. So, if they were adequately equipped, they wouldn’t have been dislodged because Nigerian army are very gallant; they are strong, determined young people. Some of them gave up their lives in the process as they stood firmly to fight.

Recently, you were quoted to have raised the alarm that Borno state and the entire North East mIght be taken over by terrorists if the military is not equipped by the federal government, can you explain more, any intelligence before you?

When you run out of ammunition and don’t have where to take cover, we have to tell government to do something about that, and I stand by my position. I worked closely with the army. Whenever I have intelligence, I share it with them; it’s not something that I will share on the pages of newspapers.If there is any information, I normally not only share it with the army and other security agencies in the country, but I talk with them one-on-one personally. I do share information with them. When I get information related to intelligence, I share it with them, I discuss it with them, and they always act on it. But as for the lack of adequate equipment and arms, it is still insufficient. The government is doing something, but what I’m saying is that it should do more so that the armed forces and other security agencies will be fully equipped to face this problem that we are having.

The army In Ngoshe and Pulka had to withdraw because they didn’t have enough arms, ammunition, and the right equipment, especially MRAPs and gun trucks, to face the insurgents. I still believe once they have the equipment and ammunition, they will be able to overcome this problem within the shortest possible time.

But the army around Ngoshe recently went back there and took over. But still, as they are now, they don’t have the adequate equipment or ammunition required for a task force battalion. The task force battalion requirement is known. We have enough soldiers now in Ngoshe, but they don’t have enough equipment to face the challenge. I’ve gone there myself. I’ve seen what they have.

You have commended the President on his efforts in tackling insecurity before now. What’s the issue now?

I will always commend him when he does well. Like now, he has declared a state of emergency on security. He has increased the number of army recruits. He has increased depots for training of soldiers; that is commendable. He has asked police to increase their recruitment. The DG, SSS has introduced the forest guard, and they are effective. But as I still said, once they don’t have the training, equipment, ammunition, and motivation, the task cannot be achieved.

Have you discussed these problems with the President?

I don’t have access to the President, but Mr. President has openly said that he reads everything Nigerians say on the media, and I am hoping that Mr. President will listen to this. I am hoping also that Mr. President will increase on what he is doing. I know some of the great works he has been doing, and I have been commending him, but when it’s not enough, you tell him it’s not enough.

Going forward, can we know some of the problems your constituents are facing from the terrorists?

One, Gwoza has been burned down to ground zero; they have been displaced, and they are living in a primary school in Pulka now; they are camping there. The government went and gave them relief materials. They are willing to go back, but their village or town has to be rebuilt for them to be able to go back. Then the soldiers there have to be equipped, trained, armed, and motivated to defend the people that will go back.

Are the people willing to go back, going by the fact that soldiers there lack adequate equipment?

The people are willing to go back because the soldiers on ground have reinforced the number of troops in Ngoshe right now. They have scavenged or they have drafted some from Pulka, from Gwoza, from Kirawa nearby to reinforce the number of troops on ground, and they are holding ground. But if you go and see even where they are living, which has been burned down, I met soldiers trying to construct temporary shelter. Some of them are made of grass and thatch for them to be able to put shelter on their head, where they will sit. They don’t have the equipment. They don’t have the ammunition. If they have all those things, Nigerian army are gallant, resilient, and strong to stand these terrorists. But you cannot face them with inferior equipment and arms because they come in with large arms. That’s why they dislodged the army, and it took the army about three days to reclaim that place.

What is the morale of the soldiers fighting the insurgents like?

Their morale is still high, but they are being demoralized because they don’t have equipment. If they have the equipment, they are ready. They don’t have MRAPs, they don’t have gun trucks, they don’t have other arms and ammunition required. If they have all these things, these ragtag terrorists cannot face the Nigerian army.

How many areas are affected by this insurgency within your constituency?

In my constituency, I can say my own area is most affected. That is Gwoza, especially Gwoza East and part of Gwoza West and Damboa Local Government. Biu Local Government, Hawul Local Government, and then Uba/Askira Local Government, Chibok Local Government. These are the areas that are around the Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains. These two areas are most affected. And in Borno North, the Lake Chad area is affected, which affects Marte, Monguno, Kala/Balge, Gomborungala Local Government, Damasak Local Government—all those areas in the north that are around the Lake Chad Basin are also facing the same problem; all of them are facing the same issue, and that is lack of equipment and lack of ammunition, lack of adequate training, and lack of motivation. As I said, the salary of a private soldier is ¦ 100,000, which is just about $70 per month. Their feeding allowance is only ¦ 3,000 per day. These are not intelligence matters. These are facts on the ground. The President has to know that, and the only way I can have that message sent across to the President is through the media because having access to Mr. President is another problem.

What do you think should be the solution to this insurgency? How can it be brought to an end?

It can be brought to an end if the Nigerian army is well trained, well equipped, well armed, and well motivated. That I call TEAM: training, equipment, ammunition, and motivation. Once the Nigerian army and the other armed forces like supporting security agencies like SSS, like police, like forest guards—all of them—if they are well equipped, well trained, well armed, and well motivated, I assure you that our troops are gallant enough to execute this project within the shortest possible time. And most importantly again, the ground troops must be supported by air support. We don’t have enough attack helicopters. As I’m speaking to you now, we don’t have enough attack helicopters in all the black spots.

How is life in the areas affected by this insurgency?

Our people are very resilient. Even as I went to Gwoza, despite the situation, they are saying that they are ready to go back immediately if there is a conducive environment. The security agencies are there; all they need is arms, ammunition, motivation, and training. Once these are provided to them, they will be able to defend the communities. And once they have air support, the ground troops will be ready to move anywhere. There should be attack helicopters permanently located, particularly anywhere they have a brigade; they should be able to have an attack helicopter.

Authorities in Borno State may have made efforts to salvage the situation. How far have the efforts helped?

In fact, the governor is overstretching himself. That is to say, most of the resources of Borno State now are channeled towards providing the necessary support to the Nigerian army and other security agencies. The state governor has spent and is spending a lot of money in buying logistics, starting from Hilux vehicles, armored vehicles, and whatever in terms of food, in terms of logistics; the governor is doing his best. But it’s a state government; the resources are not enough to pay salaries, to take care of other things, so that’s why we are calling on the federal government to pay more attention. (Sunday Vanguard)

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