Governor Babagana Zulum has donated ₦50 million to the family of late Lt. Col. OC Okolo, who was killed in a terrorist attack at Mandaragirau in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State on 16 February 2026. The donation was presented during the officer's funeral service on 10 April 2026 in Obinofia Ndiuno, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State. Zulum was represented by his Special Adviser on Security, Brigadier General Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq (Rtd). The cash gift is part of the Borno State Government's ongoing support for families of military personnel killed or injured in counter-insurgency operations.
Zulum expressed deep condolences, describing Lt. Col. Okolo as a gallant and committed officer whose service would not be forgotten. He prayed for the repose of the officer's soul and for strength for the family. Speaking for the family, Prof. Stanley Okolo thanked the governor for the ₦50 million donation and for sending a delegation from Maiduguri on short notice. He also acknowledged representatives of the Chief of Army Staff and the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division.
The funeral was attended by Brigadier General G.A. Suru, representing the Chief of Army Staff, and Brigadier General I.P. Omoke, representing the Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI. Members of NAOWA and the host community were also present. Zulum previously donated ₦150 million to the families of three other officers killed in Boko Haram attacks. He pledged continued visits to families of personnel killed or missing in action.
Babagana Zulum's donation of ₦50 million to the family of Lt. Col. OC Okolo stands out not because of the gesture itself, but because of the rare visibility it gives to the personal cost of Nigeria's long-running counter-insurgency war. While military deaths are frequently reported, the state's response is usually confined to formal commendations—Zulum's direct, public, and monetarily significant intervention breaks that pattern, placing a human face on a conflict often reduced to strategic updates.
This act fits within a broader narrative of Borno State attempting to redefine civil-military relations in a region exhausted by violence. By stepping in with immediate financial support and physical representation at funerals, Zulum positions the state government as a compassionate actor where federal institutions often appear distant. The fact that this is not an isolated case—₦150 million was previously paid to three other families—suggests a deliberate policy of morale-building and symbolic solidarity, especially in a state where military operations remain intense and casualties frequent.
For ordinary Nigerians, particularly families of security personnel in the Northeast, this sets a precedent for how public office can respond to loss. It offers a measure of dignity and material relief in moments of profound grief, especially when federal welfare mechanisms for military families remain opaque or inaccessible.
It also reflects a quiet shift in sub-national governance, where state leaders are increasingly filling gaps in national duties—not through confrontation, but through visible acts of care that resonate deeply in trauma-affected communities.
