The Borno State Government has imposed an immediate ban on the sale of petrol in Bama Local Government Area, including Bama town and Banki, in a move aimed at cutting off supplies to insurgents operating in the region.
Governor Babagana Zulum issued the directive following consultations with security agencies, as part of broader efforts to curb the activities of insurgent groups and restore stability to the state.
This was made known in a statement released on Saturday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Malam Dauda Iliya, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“I have directed the immediate ban on the sale of petrol in Bama town, Banki, and other parts of Bama Local Government Area with immediate effect,” Zulum said in the statement.
The governor warned that strict enforcement measures would follow the directive, cautioning that violators would face the full weight of the law.
“Let me make it clear, there will be no sacred cows in the enforcement of this ban. Security agencies have been given strict orders to clamp down on any filling station or individual contravening this directive. Anyone found culpable will be dealt with accordingly,” he added.
Zulum reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fighting insurgency and urged residents to support ongoing efforts by security agencies and government authorities to bring lasting peace to the region.
What you should know
For years, Borno State has suffered from a spate of insurgency attacks led by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). These groups have carried out widespread violence, displacing millions and devastating key infrastructure across the state.
In response, the Nigerian military has engaged in sustained offensives aimed at dismantling terrorist strongholds and cutting off their supply routes. In January 2025, the military reported killing at least 34 insurgents and recovering 23 AK-47 rifles during a thwarted retaliatory attack in Damboa Local Government Area.
- To complement military efforts, the Borno State Government has implemented a series of restrictive measures to disrupt insurgent logistics, particularly in vulnerable border communities. These include the recent bans on the sale of fuel and restrictions on movement, strategies designed to limit the flow of resources to terrorist networks.
- In January 2024, Governor Babagana Zulum revealed that approximately 3.2 million people had been displaced by the Boko Haram crisis over the past seven years. He added that more than 100,000 children were orphaned, 432 health centres destroyed, over 5,000 classrooms lost, and 900,000 homes reduced to rubble—figures he described as official, noting that the true numbers could be even higher.
These statistics reflect the enormous human and infrastructural toll the insurgency has had on Borno and the urgency of both military and humanitarian interventions.