Northern group gives Buhari, FG 14-day ultimatum to release names of Boko Haram sponsors

[By VICTOR NZE]

Group, the Northern Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has given President Muhammadu Buhari and his government a 14-day ultimatum to publish the names of those in his administration said to be sponsoring the insurgent group, Boko Haram and other acts of terrorism in the country.

The ultimatum is sequel to allegations leveled by a retired Military Intelligence expert who claimed that the Federal Government of President Buhari is fully aware of the identities of those financing terror in the country.

NYCN, in a statement by its President, Isah Abubakar, Thursday, warned that failure to release the sponsors’ names by the Federal Government will leave the group with no other choice than to make the Buhari government ‘face the consequences.’

It would be recalled that a Military Intelligence expert, Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (rtd), had while featuring as a guest on the Channels TV morning programme, ‘Sunrise Daily, Wednesday, accused the present government of Nigeria of shielding known sponsors of terrorism and financially backing Boko Haram insurgents, as he further lamented that efforts to prosecute them have been blocked by serving members of the Buhari administration.

According to Olawunmi, a Professor of Intelligence and Global Security Studies, some of the sponsors are presently state governors and senators in the Buhari administration, who were identified and profiled, but are yet to be prosecuted.

Olawunmi further disclosed that he was member of a Committee that ‘interrogated a senior member of this government on Boko Haram related issues.’

“In April this year, the government said they had arrested 400 Bureau De Change (BDCs)-related people that were sponsoring Boko Haram. They told us.

“Try them, we know them. Why can’t this government, if not that they are partisan, why can they bring those people out for trial?” Olawunmi asked.

Referencing his time as a member of the military intelligence team in 2017, Olawunmi noted that there are some things he cannot disclose to the public.

“I can’t come on air and start mentioning names of people that are presently in government that the boys we arrested mentioned. Some of them are governors now. Some of them are in the Senate. Some of them are in Aso Rock,” Olawunmi said.

However, reacting to the development, the NYCN in its statement further told Buhari to sack the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN, saying that he was ‘the first brought the issue of the sponsors of insecurity to the public with the promise of unveiling their identity but failed to do so.’

According to the NYCN, the AGF ’is not doing much in prosecuting Boko Haram and ISWAP elements that have been arrested and the over 400 Bureau de Change Operators that are either in the custody of our security agents or have probably regained their freedom.’

The Northern youth group also noted that ‘there can’t be peace without justice, hence, the office of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation should be occupied by a proactive and more intelligent person other than the snail-paced and docile Malami.’

They berated the present security situation in the country where ‘poor Northerners are the victims of terrorism and banditry,’ positing that ‘any attempt to further shield the identity of the Bureau De Change operators financing the spilling of the blood of our brothers will be meted with massive protest.’

Further reacting to the development, in its statement, therefore, the NYCN  noted that ‘the weighty allegation if not properly treated, via deliberate government action is capable of further polarising Nigeria, which is faced with different cessation agitations.’

It subsequently announced a 14-day ultimatum to Buhari and his government, warning that if the ultimatum is not met, the group will lead its members to ‘occupy the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.’

“By this, the Council is serving the government a 14-day pre-protest notice. Failure to unveil the identity of the sponsors of the killers of our brothers and sisters, we shall have no other alternative but to occupy the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory until our demands are met.”