The governors of the North-eastern states have told Pres. Muhammadu Buhari that despite the administration’s efforts in rehabilitating repentant Boko Haram members, as way to deter potential recruits into the dreaded terror group, the recruitment of youth has persisted in the region.

The Federal government of Nigeria had in 2016 established the Operation Safe Corridor, to deradicalized, rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant Boko Haram members back into the society.

The programme has however faced stiff resistance by most Nigerians, including Senator Ali Ndume, who stated recently that the government should have first of all prioritized the plight of victims of the crises instead of the perpetrators.

The programme is said to have successfully reintegrated 881 former Boko Haram fighters into the society since it’s inception.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, who spoke on behalf of his counterparts, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and chiefs of security agencies, stated that the Federal Government should equipped the police to bridge the existing gap in inadequate manpower.

“The government of the region has commended the efforts of the Federal Government in securing the region.

“However, we told the President that there is a need for the Federal Government to address the causes of insurgency, which are not limited to endemic poverty, hunger among others.

“One of the root causes is that of access to farm lands, people need to go back to their farmlands, people need to be resettled in their original homes so that they can restart their means of livelihood.

“This is one of the reasons the insurgents are recruiting more into the sect. Therefore, creating an enabling environment (that) will enable the people to go about their normal duties will no doubt reduce the cases of insurgency.

“There is a need for the federal, states and the local government to come together with a view to proffering solutions that will end this crisis in the region. But most importantly, there is war on the economy in the region and I think that is why we are here.” Gov. Zulum said.

Boko Haram and its affiliates have being waging a Jihadi insurgency against the Nigerian state for over a decade, with thousands of lives lost and millions displaced.