In a scary twist to Nigeria’s war against terrorism, jihadists are now using drones to attack government strongholds in the northeast.
Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor of Borno State, has sounded the clarion call: the nation’s air-safety and defence architecture is under siege and needs counter-measures.
He made his plea on Friday in the town of Mafa after militants from Boko Haram deployed an armed drone in a brazen attack on a military formation in the region — a move that signals a dangerous leap in their capabilities.
“Drones. This is frightening,” said Governor Zulum. “In Dikwa I was told drones were used. The proliferation of drones, particularly in the hands of non-state actors, is of great concern for the entire country. We have to do something to stop the rampant use of armed drones.”
The governor didn’t mince words: this isn’t just a Borno problem — it’s a knock-on threat to national security. “Our borders need to be strengthened, and our airspace needs to be strengthened as well… this is the right time for the security architecture to thoroughly look into strengthening the capability of our airspace to curtail the use of armed drones by terrorists.”
On the ground, the stakes are already lethal. Zulum revealed that credible intelligence had warned of an attack on Mafa — yet the strike still went ahead. He raised possibility of internal sabotage, calling for the state and federal governments plus the military high command to “identify the gaps and address them directly.”
He also appealed to the public: cooperate with security agencies, be vigilant, report suspicious activity. The message: the next attack may be looming.
