Governor Babagana Zulum has said the ongoing surrender of Boko Haram fighters has left the state with two extremely difficult situations.
Most victims of insurgency in the state are said to be facing a dilemma on whether or not to accept repentant insurgents.
In a statement by his special adviser Isa Gusau, Zulum said the situation required diverse stakeholders including representatives of attacked communities, to come together and critically review the pros, cons and implications of the surrender, to agree on a framework that is well-thought-out.
“We in Borno, are in a very difficult situation over the ongoing surrender by insurgents. We have to critically look between two extreme conditions and decide our future,” Zulum said.
“We have to choose between endless wars or to cautiously accept the surrendered terrorists which is really painful and difficult for anyone that has lost loved ones, difficult for all of us and even for the military whose colleagues have died and for volunteers.
“No one would find it easy to accept killers of his or her parents, children and other loved ones. In the last 12 years we have been in this war, and we have lost thousands of fellow citizens.
“We do not know the whereabouts of thousands of others; we do not know whether they are alive or dead. In these 12 years, millions have been made homeless and many wealthy farmers, transporters and others have been rendered poor.
“In these years, we were able to cultivate maybe around 3% of the arable land, and as a result our people became dependent on food aid amid donor fatigue and potential food insecurity, in fact the repercussions of the Boko Haram crisis are enormous and as someone who has been involved with assessment of the impacts and rebuilding efforts in the last seven years, I am in position to know the endless negative impact the Boko Haram has made in Borno.”