REVEALED: How Borno State Spent N10 Billion To Fight Boko Haram Insurgency

Contrary to many Nigerians’ opinions, the Borno State government has spent over N10 billion in the last three years to fight against insurgency in the state, according to the Secretary to Borno State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda.

The state’s scribe made the disclosure in Lagos at the weekend, during an interactive session with senior journalists.

Mr. Jidda, who informed that the state has only received N200 million in form of assistance from the Federal Government from 2011 till date, however, said that the Borno State Government had invested over N10 billion in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency within same period.

Some of the things he said they spent the huge outlay upon include the procurement of armoured personnel carriers, patrol vehicles, hundreds of trailers of petroleum products, provision of material logistics and intervention in the area of accommodation to support security agencies.

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* Borno State scribe, Ahmed Jidda

According to the former Ambassador to Burkina-Faso, the Borno State Government had earlier decided not to make public its expenditure as it relates to the support to security agencies in its fight against Boko Haram, because Governor Kashim Shettima did not want to be viewed as embarrassing the Federal Government, since funding of security, especially at a time like this, falls under the Exclusive Legislative list.

He however, said the state government decided to set the records straight following insinuations that the state government was allegedly not co-operating with security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram.

Mr. Jidda urged the media not to be misled by those who may want to confuse things for material benefits noting that at every point in time, there are those who benefit from any crisis or disagreement at the expense of the larger society.

He thanked the media for what he described as “rooted support” and urge journalists to always stand by facts and figures which they should independently verify at all times.

The Borno state secretary stated that focus must be on the insurgency and not to engage in trading of blames that aim at making victims the accused in a fight that threatens the existence of the victims.

No fewer than 276 schoolgirls are still being held by the Boko Haram insurgents since they were kidnapped at the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State on 14 April, 2014.

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