Boko Haram recruiting children, Borno governor cries out

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has raised the alarm that Boko Haram terrorists are recruiting children in the state while expressing concern over the challenges facing internally displaced persons in camps.

TheCable Newspaper reports that the governor disclosed this on Thursday in Maiduguri, the Borno capital, while receiving some members of the House of Representatives.

Zulum also said more than 700,000 IDPs in Monguno and 400,000 in Gamboru Ngala had no access to their farmland

According to the governor, the continued stay of able-bodied persons in IDPs’ camps poses a serious problem that could worsen the crisis.

He said, “The only solution we have now is to ensure the safe return of our people to their homes in a dignified manner. If nothing is done, believe me sincerely, we shall face a very serious challenge, even more than what we are facing now.

“This is because right now, the insurgents are recruiting many of our children into the sect because of the increasing unemployment rate.”

The governor advised the federal lawmakers, who were in Maiduguri for an oversight function at the North-East Development Commission, to focus on long-term development in the region instead of giving short-term humanitarian support.