The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), met with Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.
This was disclosed by an aide to the president, Lauretta Onochie, who shared pictures from the meeting on Twitter.
“President Muhammadu Buhari receives in audience Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, at the State House on 30th Dec 2020,” Onochie tweeted.
Though the details of the meeting have not been revealed, it may not be unconnected to the insecurity in the Northeast.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Governor Zulum expressed disappointment at the Nigerian military over the failure to secure a section of the Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road.
He said, “I have had occasions to defend the Nigerian military in order to boost the morale of commanders and their troops at the front lines because I know the true picture of things. However, I am really disappointed that despite all support from both the Federal Government and from us in Borno State, our military is failing to secure an area of 20 kilometres, which is the distance between Auno and Jakana. And incidentally, majority of Boko Haram’s attacks along this Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road keeps happening between Auno and Jakana.”
Zulum also berated the Rapid Response Squad for failing to have a presence on the road.
He said, “We drove from Maiduguri to here, Jakana. We did not see soldiers on the road, we did not see even our own Rapid Response Squad on this road and they were trained, employed, kitted and paid to protect all Nigerians within their areas of operation and these Nigerians include travellers plying this busy and important road.”
