Dons Eze
WHY BOKO HARAM, BANDITS THRIVE: HIOW NGOs, OTHERS AID TERRORISTS – RETIRED GENERALS
Retired generals from the Army, Navy, and Air Force who were actively involved in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency, especially against Boko Haram, have closely examined the situation and concluded that some non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international agencies, and certain interest groups have contributed to the ongoing terrorism and violent crimes in the country.
According to The Vanguard, it was reported that recently, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, had called on the Federal Government to invite the United Nations to investigate how terrorists and bandits in Nigeria are still receiving arms despite the military’s strong efforts.
The armed forces have successfully killed many terrorists and seized thousands of their weapons, yet these groups continue to gain access to advanced weapons.
General Musa’s request followed public criticism that the military has not justified the large amounts of money allocated to the fight against terrorism, as terrorist groups, bandits, and kidnappers still manage to obtain sophisticated arms.
Speaking on this issue, retired generals—including former theatre commanders, general officers commanding (GOCs), field commanders, and Air Force operational leaders—highlighted the main causes of the ongoing conflict and identified those supporting these violent groups. They also suggested ways to address the problem. However, these retired generals chose to remain anonymous when sharing their views.
A retired AOC who spoke to Vanguard correspondent said, “NGOs are deeply involved in this arms inflow. They have ulterior motives here. They deceive us with mosquito nets, donate insecticides and give us some dollars to support infrastructure but make millions of dollars from arms sales, mineral resources export etc. And most of the weapons are sold very cheap to terrorists and bandits, as cheap as $5, $8, $10.”
Further talking, he said at one point in the fight against banditry, especially in Kaduna State, security agencies discovered that 450 Boko Haram terrorists had moved from the North-East into the Birnin Gwari forests. However, the government lacked the political will to take necessary action against them, such as launching air strikes or using other methods to eliminate them.
He said although the military and security forces are making every possible effort to end banditry and terrorism, but terrorists continue to receive supplies through certain agencies and NGOs that serve as cover for their operations.
