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Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has raised fresh concerns over the tactics of insurgents in Borno state.
He also shared that bombs used in recent attacks in Maiduguri, were transported through tricycles, known in local parlance as ‘Keke NAPEP’.
On Monday, 23 persons were killed, with 108 injured, following bomb blasts in three locations in Maiduguri.
The bombs went off at a market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and the Post Office flyover.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday night, Ndume said the terrorists deployed a familiar but dangerous pattern of operations.
“What they do is hit and run. They gather, share information among themselves, and most dangerously, they also get information from some citizens. They have informants within society,” he said.
“You can imagine, even the bomb that exploded was delivered by a Keke NAPEP. This is not something new; they package it and use people in Keke NAPEP to deliver it to specific spots.”
Ndume warned that the situation is compounded by intelligence gaps, stressing that security agencies must improve their surveillance capabilities.
“The problem is a lack of adequate intelligence,” he said, noting that insurgents now operate with boldness.
“You can imagine that bandits and terrorists in Nigeria now have the audacity to record their atrocities on TikTok and send them out.”
‘IF MY PHONE CAN BE TRACKED, WHY CAN’T THE BANDITS?’
He questioned the effectiveness of existing monitoring systems, suggesting that authorities should be able to track insurgents if similar surveillance can be applied to public figures.
“If I can be monitored, what stops the security and intelligence agencies from getting information about the whereabouts and the activities of the terrorists?” he queried.
Ndume also criticised the government’s response to insecurity, saying efforts so far have not matched the scale of the challenge.
“The government, I must say, are not walking the talk,” he said.
“The security agencies and soldiers up till now still do not have the training, equipment, ammunition and motivation.”
While acknowledging President Bola Tinubu’s commitment, the lawmaker insisted that more decisive action is needed.
“You need to abandon everything and concentrate on security and welfare of citizens… even if that amounts to shutting down the government, let it be done,” he said.
He stressed that troops cannot effectively combat insurgents without proper support.
“They can’t do it with bare hands. They can’t do it without air support if the ground troops are going to face the enemies.”
Referencing recent military success in Malam Fatori, Abadam LGA of Borno state, where troops of Operation Hadin Kai reportedly killed 61 ISWAP insurgents, Ndume said the outcome demonstrated the importance of adequate support.
“You could see from Malam Fatori that there was adequate air cover… and the military did what they needed to do and they were successful,” he said.
“If we continue like that consistently, this thing can be done in less than six months.”
He expressed optimism following support from the United States, urging authorities to ensure tangible results.
“Now that the American government has agreed to give us intelligence support and training, let us see it working,” the senator added.
