NIGERIA ASKS UN TO PROBE BOKO HARAM FUNDING, TRAINING
NIGERIA ASKS UN:TO PROBE BOKO HARAM’S FUNDING, TRAINING Nigeria has called on the United Nations to investigate the funding and training of the Boko Haram terrorists. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, made the call in a recent interview he had with Al-Jazeera. Musa said there was international flow of funding for the terrorists, stressing the need for the UN to come in to trace and track it. The defence chief, who questioned how the insurgents had sustained themselves for 15 years, also fingered international conspiracy in providing the terrorists with funds, training and equipment. Tinubu in power but not in govt – SDP Presidential candidateCourt dismisses Emefiele’s application challenging jurisdiction The CDS’ call on the international community for investigation came at the wake of a new trick by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists who are now deploying drones for surveillance ahead of launching attacks on security operatives. Responding to a question on why Boko Haram has kept regrouping despite the claims by the federal government that the sect has been degraded, the CDS said: “The problem is that I think we have talked to the international community. Let’s find out the funding. As we speak, over 120,000 Boko Haram members have surrendered, and most of them came with hard currency. How did they get it? How are they funded? How did they get the training? How did they get the equipment? “The UN needs to come in because we need to trace the funding. It is international flow, and we don’t have control over that,” he said. Asked what his suspicion was, the defence chief said: “Well, maybe an international conspiracy… How are they being able to sustain themselves for 15 years? That is one question I think everybody should ask themselves.” The defence chief, however, said he did not know whose interest it is to see Nigeria destabilized. He noted that Nigeria is not the only country dealing with the asymmetric warfare. “West Africa, the Sahelian area, and in fact, if actions are not taken, it is going to engulf the entire world. “We are just good guys just trying to make sure that our country is secured, and then, some individuals seem not to be happy about it, and doing everything possible to throw us under the bus for whatever reasons…I have been in service for almost 33 years. Anytime we seem to be succeeding, somebody throws something at us, and the question is: why? Is it because we are succeeding or you don’t want the country to move forward? What is the aim? What’s the intent? That is the question we are asking.” He also stated that the difficulty in getting equipment was one of the reasons the insurgency had not been wiped out. “We have a procurement procedure which is being followed. And to also state that even with our monies at times, we find it difficult getting equipment. And the question is: why? One of the reasons why this insurgency has been for this long is because we have been denied access to equipment. Even when we have our monies to get it, it is difficult,” he said. On why the military had been denied access to equipment, he said: “Well, I really don’t understand. It is a question that we keep on asking, why are we being denied? “Our government is doing the best it can. But as an international system, like I said, we don’t produce (equipment), we need to buy. So, going to buy is sometimes a bit difficult, getting these items.” Asked whether Nigeria has any foreign bases on its soil, the CDS exclaimed: “Not at all! We do not encourage any foreign bases. We have the capacity to secure…
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