The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has said that there are foreign interests sponsoring the Boko Haram terrorists to recruit children as fighters.
The governor said this in Lagos on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, to celebrate the life and times of Fawehinmi, who died on September 5, 2009.
“I am from Borno State, and many of our children are into Boko Haram. I’m not denying the fact. But again, they are being sponsored by many people across the world. Among Boko Haram, we have white men, Asians, Africans, Muslims and Christians,” Zulum said.
He said insurgency in the North East was worsened by Nigeria’s porous borders, which he said enables people to import arms freely into the country.
The governor lamented that the problem of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping across the country were as a result of high unemployment rate, poverty, poor social infrastructure, high social inequality and drug abuse, among others.
To address these challenges and take children off the street, he said government must improve on the educational system and provide job opportunities for young people.
