Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum has insisted that Boko Haram offers new recruits N5,000 and use them as spies in communities.
Zulum, who disclosed this during his statewide broadcast on Saturday to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day and his second anniversary in office, noted that Boko Haram also recruits fighters to smuggle weapons.
Recall that Boko Haram has been terrorising the Northern part of Nigeria for over a decade.
The terrorist group has killed thousands, destroyed millions of properties and rendered many homeless.
According to Zulum: “From day one, we were faced with an acute humanitarian crisis, particularly in northern and some parts of the central senatorial zones.
“There was the risk that insurgents could, after making IDPs socially and economically vulnerable, also explore that vulnerability by offering food and cash incentives to recruit fighters who could even serve as their spies in communities.
“From records, we had experienced instances when insurgents offered as low as between N5,000 and N10,000 to recruit some spies and smugglers of weapons.
“Borno State has thousands of volunteers who are being paid monthly allowances, provided with kits and vehicles to complement the military in the fight against Boko Haram.”
The Governor also called for support of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to ensure that they are not attracted to the incentives of insurgents.
