Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has engaged 1,000 hunters to protect farmers in four local government areas of the state.
The councils to be protected from Boko Haram attacks include Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Konduga and Mafa local government areas.
While flagging off the engagement of the hunters on Thursday at Khaddamari, the council headquarters of Jere, he disclosed that the farmers were being protected within a radius of 15 kilometres of Maiduguri metropolis, Khaddamari, Konduga and Mafa towns.
He said the security architecture in the state would be reviewed to sustain the gradual restoration of peace across the state and border areas of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
“To subdue the insurgents, it is strategically important to be committed to ending the insurgency that has claimed many lives and property,” he said. He noted that this would bring and sustain peace and the security of people’s lives and property. He said the Civilian JTF had become an integral part of the security architecture in the fight against insurgency.
The role of hunters, according to him, had become a success story because of their active involvement in overcoming security challenges. He said the hunters were conversant with the terrains and black spots vulnerable to terrorists’ attacks.
This, according to him, informed the state government’s decision to engage more hunters to assist the gallant troops end terrorism.
He added that the hunters also provide assistance to soldiers to pursue and subdue the insurgents. He lamented that suspected criminals were still maneuvering the four councils and continued to prevent people from working on their farmlands.
Zulum pledged that the hunters would be equipped and provided with logistic support, including regular payments of monthly allowances.
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