The Enemy is Within! Ndume Reveals Why Terrorists in Borno are So Hard to Catch

The mystery behind the resilience of the insurgency in Nigeria’s Northeast has been stripped bare as Senator Ali Ndume reveals a chilling reality: the military isn’t just fighting a shadow—they are fighting a “neighbor.”

Supporting the bombshell claims made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, Ndume confirmed that the true reason terrorists are so difficult to track, catch, and defeat is the deep-rooted insider betrayal plaguing Borno and Yobe states.

According to the lawmaker, the “ghosts” haunting the region have local names, local families, and very familiar voices.

Ndume, who represents Borno South, explained that the tactical advantage held by these insurgents isn’t superior training—it’s the fact that they are “sons of the soil.”

He noted that recent attacks in his own constituency were carried out by individuals who didn’t need maps or GPS because they were born on the terrain.

“You cannot have insurgents coming from outside to attack the town without insiders,” Ndume stated bluntly. “So most of the insurgents in my local government are from my local government. Most of those that attacked recently… you can hear from the accent they are from Borno.”

This “local factor” explains why the military often finds itself hitting a brick wall. When the attacker speaks the language, knows every bush path, and potentially has a family member shielding them, the traditional rules of engagement become almost useless.

Ndume further demystified the image of the “invincible” terrorist. He described the fighters not as elite commandos, but as “ragtag” and “wretched” individuals who lack physical strength.

The secret to their survival, he argues, isn’t their might, but the monopoly of force. > “The only thing they have is that AK-47. If they know that a community, in every household, they are likely to have somebody with the gun, they will not come near that place,” he added

The Senator’s admission aligns with General Oluyede’s recent frustration. If the perpetrators are from within the affected communities, the war cannot be won by bullets alone. It requires a “communal purge.”

By identifies Borno and Yobe as the major “culprits” for providing the human capital for terrorism, the military chief and the Senator have sent a clear message: The insurgency persists because the community is hosting it.

As long as “insiders” continue to provide intelligence and safe haven to their kinsmen-turned-killers, the enemy remains invisible to the military, but perfectly visible to the neighbors who stay silent.