BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, 17 OCTOBER, 2026 | 11:24PM
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has listed his key demands from the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, to consolidate the relative peace restored in Borno State.
He made the demands on Saturday evening when he received the COAS on a courtesy call at the Government House, Maiduguri.
Welcoming Gen. Shaibu, who he described as no stranger to Borno, having served as Brigade Commander in Bama, GOC, and Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the governor thanked the Army for its support and for training 1,000 forest guards for the state.
He, however, said more needs to be done to address emerging threats, especially in Northern Borno.
- Immediate commencement of Operation Lake Sanity
Gov. Zulum called for the immediate commencement of Operation Lake Sanity, saying recent attacks in Northern Borno are due to the presence of insurgents in the Lake Chad fringes.
'Under no circumstances will we witness complete peace without undertaking major military operations in the shores of Lake Chad. In the last 10 to 15 years, no thorough military operation was conducted in the shores of the lake,' he said.
He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has provided the necessary support and that the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Naval Staff are working together to commence the operation, but appealed to the COAS to hasten the process.
- Strengthen Amphibious Command in Baga
The governor also requested the strengthening of the Nigerian Army Amphibious Command in Baga to clear the waterways and hold liberated locations.
'We also need the presence of the Nigerian Army amphibious command to hold some of the locations after the clearance exercise, otherwise the entire exercise will be futile,' he said.
- Establishment of military formation in Kareto
Gov. Zulum pointed out that the distance between Gubio and Damasak is about 100 kilometres, and argued that a military formation in Kareto would be a game changer.
He assured that the Borno State Government will provide all that is needed for the establishment of the base and urged the Army to hasten its establishment to reduce threats along the axis.
- New formations to reopen Damboa-Biu road
The governor also appealed for the establishment of military formations along the Damboa-Biu axis to reopen the direct road.
'Right now, commuters traveling from Maiduguri to Biu have to go through Damaturu, Gombe, and then to Biu. The direct distance from Maiduguri to Biu through Damboa is only about 180 kilometres, while Damboa to Biu is about 80 to 90 kilometres,' he said.
He said reopening the road would ease movement and boost economic activities, pledging to provide all logistic support needed by the Army to achieve it.
The governor also commended the COAS for deploying two additional battalions to sectors 1, 2 and 3 in the state, and for ongoing efforts to establish military formations that will allow for the resettlement of communities including Maiwa and others.
He noted that military operations must be followed by stabilization mechanisms, including reconstruction and rehabilitation, in line with the UN resolution.
He condoled with the Army over officers and men who lost their lives in the theatre of operations.