Gov. Zulum refutes report of ISWAP appointing gov in Borno

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, yesterday, said that the alleged appointment of a governor over some territories in the state by Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, was not authenticated.

Governor Zulum said he was fully in charge of the state and that there was nothing contrary to show the emergence of any parallel government in the state.

The governor, who addressed State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, said his administration was not investigating the issue.

It will be recalled that a report had recently emerged, which claimed that the insurgents had appointed one Abba Kaka as the governor under a new leadership restructuring by an interim council.

Zulum, said:  “We are yet to validate the authenticity of this report that ISWAP appointed governor in Borno State. So, as the governor of the state, I think it’s not right for me to speak on something that I don’t have full knowledge of.”

Further, he said: “This report is not authenticated. You have just seen somebody writing something in social media, I think it’s on Facebook or something like that. You’re a journalist and I think we have to prove reports beyond reasonable doubts, before commenting on such reports.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m the governor of Borno State and I don’t have any information that we have another government in Borno State. And I’m very much in charge.”

On his mission to nation’s seat of power, he said that he was at the presidential villa to seek the president’s assistance to repatriate the over 200,000 Borno indigenes who fled insurgency to Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic.

He said: “Now that we have started witnessing gradual return of peace to Borno State, these people that are taking refuge in our neighbouring countries are willing to return home.

“Therefore, Borno State government picked a date of November 27, 2021, for the commencement of the repatriation process, especially to local government areas of Abadam and Guzamala.”

“So, I came to brief Mr. President, to solicit his support, with the view to ensuring hitch-free repatriation exercise.”

The governor declined to place a figure on what it might take to implement the repatriation, saying: “I can’t quantify, but I think the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with its agencies; NEMA, the Refugee Commission and indeed the Northeast Development Commission, lastly the Borno State government, have the capacity to shoulder the responsibility of the repatriation exercise.”