State directors of security and other stakeholders have raised concern over emerging security threats from the rubbles of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and across the northeast region.
This was disclosed at the opening of the 12th North-East Zonal Conference of State Directors of Security, held at the Borno State Command of the service in Maiduguri on Monday.
The three-day conference took turns of stakeholders that spoke on the emerging criminalities and threats that are capable of igniting crises similar to Boko Haram insurgency in the sub-region.
In his opening remark, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, observed that some of the criminalities taking place in recent times, were the same crimes neglected that bred Boko Haram insurgency.
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Represented by the Zanna Boguma of Borno, Alhaji Hassan Boguma, he appealed that the security chiefsto strengthen their collaboration to nip the recent security threat in the bud, to avoid a repeat of Boko Haram insurgency.
On his part, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Lawal Yusuf, said such criminalities by the traumatised youth population are “Emerging from the rubbles of the Boko Haram insurgency”.
He observed that a growing group of miscreants called Malians, unleashing terror in the Maiduguri metropolis is a serious threat, which needs to be urgently addressed.
He called for synergy and cooperation among all security agencies, with support from all stakeholders across the region to identify and deal with such criminalities in Maiduguri and across the region.
The Commander of the 7 Division Garrison, Brig. Gen. Timothy Opurum, said that considering the security threat before them, the post insurgency period needed to be more important to them in the fight against insurgency.
He also expressed reservations on the ongoing repentance and surrender of Boko Haram insurgents in the region.
Declaring open the conference, Governor Babagana Zulum, represented by the Borno State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said the inter-agency synergy and cooperation must be upheld to defeat such a threat.
