… Borno Governor Zulum Alleges Politicians, Soldiers Aid Boko Haram
In a dramatic escalation of security tensions in West Africa, the Republic of Benin has shut down a key waterway connecting Ota in Ogun State, Nigeria, to southern Benin, citing fears of arms smuggling and terrorism threats.
This latest move tightens an already strict border clampdown that has disrupted trade and heightened diplomatic strains between the two neighbours.
The water route, long a vital artery for legal trade, facilitates the movement of agricultural produce and household goods between rural communities in southwest Nigeria and Benin.
Traders and residents, who depend heavily on this channel for their livelihoods, have been left reeling from the abrupt closure.
A source familiar with the situation disclosed to SaharaReporters that the waterway had even been monitored by a Beninese customs checkpoint until President Patrice Talon ordered its shutdown.
“This is a major way of trade between Nigeria and Benin Republic,” the source said. “Most goods bought in Nigeria are transported through this route legally. The closure has hit many traders hard.”
Observers and critics argue that the clampdown goes beyond mere security concerns, pointing to political motivations intertwined with regional power dynamics.
Opposition voices within Benin suggest the blockade may be influenced by France’s strategic interest to maintain its diminishing influence in West Africa.
“France views Benin as its last stronghold in West Africa,” an informed insider explained. “With Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali distancing themselves from French influence, Paris is determined to hold on to Cotonou.”
There are also suspicions that the blockade forms part of a broader economic strategy to weaken Nigeria’s dominant influence in the region and pressure it toward adopting the CFA Franc—the currency used by several Francophone countries and pegged to the Euro.
Earlier in May, Benin had also sealed road borders at Sèmè and Owode in Lagos, and Taberu in Kwara State, following intelligence reports about arms smuggling and the emergence of a militant group named “Mahmuda.”
A security source confirmed the May 7 border closure between Taberu and Tanu was directly ordered by President Talon for security reasons.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Nigerian Customs Service spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, proved futile.
However, Maiwada had previously described the blocked routes as unofficial “bush path roads” and thus unapproved pathways for trade.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria’s northeast, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has sounded a grave alarm over internal sabotage undermining the nation’s counter-insurgency efforts.
On Wednesday, during an appearance on News Central’s Breakfast programme, Zulum accused certain politicians, soldiers, and community members of acting as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram terrorists.
According to the governor, the ongoing insurgency could be decisively defeated within six months if political interference is removed and the military receives adequate support.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian Armed Forces, among politicians, and within the communities,” Zulum disclosed.
“What we must do is strengthen intelligence operations and deal with these traitors ruthlessly.”
Zulum warned that without urgent and focused action, Boko Haram’s violence might spread beyond the North-East, a fear echoed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who noted that many insurgents and bandits operating in Nigeria are foreigners exploiting the country’s porous borders.
Calls to the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, for a military response to these allegations were unanswered.
Highlighting the dual approach needed to defeat the insurgency, Zulum revealed that more than 99 percent of the over 500,000 surrendered insurgents have stayed clear of violence, though a small fraction may relapse.
He praised the ongoing rehabilitation and reintegration programmes backed by the military.
However, the governor lamented the poor condition of military hardware, noting that insurgents now deploy drones against Nigerian troops.
“The Army does not have the necessary equipment on the ground to fight insurgency. I recently spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, who said he is seeking about 32 drones to end the insurgency,” Zulum said.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to prioritise intelligence from security professionals over political sycophants to prevent further bloodshed.
Zulum also expressed deep concern over renewed attacks in Marte Local Government Area, where a previously resettled town was recently ransacked again, displacing 20,000 people.
“If we cannot hold this last town, we risk losing the entire local government area to insurgents,” he warned.
In the National Assembly, Senate President Akpabio acknowledged the cross-border nature of the threat, emphasizing that many insurgents retreat to neighbouring countries after attacks.
The Senate has since urged the Federal Government to establish a military base in Hong LGA of Adamawa State and called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief to displaced persons.
Senator Amunu Iya Abbas highlighted a wave of deadly attacks in Adamawa between February and May 2025, with multiple casualties and widespread destruction.
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Monguno, confirmed Boko Haram’s resurgence, citing incidents where soldiers were killed and military outposts overrun in Borno.
“We had reclaimed our lands through military gallantry, but the insurgents are back. In one attack, 23 people were massacred,” he disclosed.
Governor Zulum reiterated that politicising insecurity must end, insisting that strengthening existing security frameworks—not creating state police—remains key to sustainable peace in Nigeria’s northeast.
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