Why boko haram, bandits thrive: How NGOs, others aid terrorists — Former generals, commanders

VANGUARD

Retired generals across the three arms of the military who have been involved in the war against insurgency in Nigeria, especially Boko Haram, have x-rayed the situation and came up with the conclusion that some non-governmental organisations, NGOs, international agencies and vested interests have helped to sustain terrorism and other violent crimes in the country.

Recall that the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa recently asked the Federal Government to invite the United Nations to help investigate how arms inflows get to terrorists and bandits in Nigeria, despite the heroic efforts of the armed forces who have killed and continue to kill many of them while recovering thousands of their weapons.

The CDS’ call came against the backdrop of claims by a segment of the society that the military has not justified the huge budgetary allocations to the fight against terrorism and other forms of crime in the country, while terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, among others, continue to receive a supply of sophisticated arms.

However, baring their minds on the issue yesterday, retired generals, who cut across the Army, Navy and Air Force, particularly former theatre commanders, general officers commanding, GOCs, formation/field commanders and NAF operational commanders have pointed to the crux of the problem and those behind the deadly assaults/unending war and chart a way forward.

However, efforts to get the NGOs yesterday to react to the retired generals’ allegation proved abortive but the Media and Communications Adviser of the International Non- Governmental Organization, INGO, Forum in Nigeria, Ademilola Adesanya, said: “I am not the spokesperson of the INGO Forum, I am just an adviser.

‘’But I will try and get in touch with the spokesperson to call you, as she is the only one authorized to talk to the press.”

However, at press time they offered to speak on grounds of anonymity.

Former GOC 1 Division:

A former GOC, I Division said: ”Having been involved in the fight against terrorism and banditry that spilt into the North-West, Niger and Kogi states which were my Divisional Area of Responsibility as at then, I would say what the CDS said is quite true.

“It’s a known fact that external and internal non-state players are deeply entrenched in the spate of violence and banditry in Northern Nigeria.

“In the recent past, several arrests of financiers of insurgency and terrorism were made. Their funding source was traced to the Middle East.

“The UAE government was pivotal in assisting Nigeria in apprehending quite a number of them. Unfortunately, these arrests were enmeshed in political controversy, as they were not prosecuted and punished.

“That aside, Boko Haram has festered for almost 15 years, largely due to religious indoctrination of young, uneducated men and women. The end game is to destabilize the country, especially the North West and North-East to control vast space full of valuable human and mineral resources to fund and expand terrorism across the country.

“We must also recognize that these criminal organizations with networks across the globe are bent on having a foothold in the Sahel region, especially Nigeria.

“There is also gross social inadequacies or failures of some sort by the sub-nationals in the region. Lack of jobs, under-development, poor healthcare and education for the millions of young people provides oxygen for these terrorists to keep recruiting the youths.

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