Former Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has expressed support for a stronger United States military presence in Borno State, urging American forces to establish a base in the Mandara Mountains to help eliminate Boko Haram insurgents operating in the region.
Ndume made the call on Sunday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, amid renewed concerns over terrorist activities in parts of the North-East.
The senator, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, said the United States could play a critical role in clearing insurgent strongholds in the Mandara Mountains, Sambisa Forest and other enclaves where terrorists continue to operate.
He said, “I’m hoping that they (Donald Trump and his men) could even go far beyond, as I said earlier, when the issue of Americans coming in (was reported) since last year. So I wish they could even establish their base under the Mandara Mountains and drive away all those Boko Haram elements from there.
“And then from the Mandara Mountains, it can serve as a point to even observe up to Sambisa. They have the technology to monitor those (insurgents). So I am in full support.
“In fact, I am appealing. Let the Americans go to Gwoza and take over the Mandara Mountains, please. It will go a long way to cut down on (insecurity) because they have a ring road in Borno State.”
He further explained that the geographical positioning of the Mandara Mountains could help disrupt supply routes and movement corridors used by insurgents across Borno State.
“So, from Sambisa, they can go to Lake Chad and come through the route in Kaga. From Kaga, they can go down through Mandaragirau or Buni Yadi and move on to Gwoza through Mandaragirau, as I said. With that, they have cycled to Borno State.
“So if that cycle can be cut off, we’ll have a reduction (of insurgency). In fact, there will be nowhere for them to go to get support or supplies. But you can’t do that, as I said, without a team and enough boots on the ground. The Nigerian army needs the resources,” he added.
The lawmaker’s comments come against the backdrop of ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against terrorism in the North-East.
Last month, the Defence Headquarters announced that joint counter-terrorism operations conducted in collaboration with the United States Africa Command had resulted in the killing of 175 ISIS terrorists in North-East Nigeria.
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the coordinated operations represented significant progress in efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating in the region.
For more than a decade, Borno has remained the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, with security forces continuing military operations across the Sambisa Forest, the Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad Basin to contain terrorist activities and restore stability to affected communities.
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