Fight against Boko Haram now a business venture ―Fayose

EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has alleged that Boko
Haram has become source of indirect treasury looting; saying “Those
benefitting from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scams, payment
of ransom (in dollars) to free those abducted by the Boko Haram
insurgents, among others will never wish to see the end of the
insurgency.”

The governor described the alleged withdrawal of military
check-points from Dapchi and other communities, few days before 110
students of Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) were
abducted by Boko Haram, as major pointer to possible conspiracy in
the abduction of the schoolgirls and other dastardly acts of the
insurgents, asking why no one had been questioned up till now
despite conflicting claims by the army and police.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant on
Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose
insisted that withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude
Account by the federal government was a continuation of the use of
fight against the insurgents to fleece the country.

He lamented that Nigerians were now getting to a state of
helplessness on the insurgency; adding that “Painfully, it appears
we will have to live with Boko Haram for a very long time because
waiting for this President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government
to save Nigerians is a waste of time. They boasted that Boko Haram
will be defeated within three months; it is now more than 30
months. All that they have told Nigerians is grammar. Boko Haram
technically defeated, Boko Haram completely defeated and now Boko
Haram completely degraded. ”

The governor said; “We have heard stories of alleged diversion
of foods and relief materials meant for the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) in the North-East to Chad and Niger Republic, about
200 tons of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for
distribution to the IDPs sold in the open market in Abuja and most
importantly, use of the IDPs camps by top government officials to
perpetrate monumental fraud.

“As long as the fight against Boko Haram remains a business
venture, providing cheap money for top officials of this
government, the insurgency will continue.

“The anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International said
last year that corruption in the military was weakening Nigeria’s
efforts to battle Boko Haram.

“In Transparency International’s words; ‘corrupt military
officials have been able to benefit from the conflict through the
creation of fake defence contracts, the proceeds of which are often
laundered abroad in the UK, U.S. and elsewhere.’

“In its own report, the US Department of State’s Bureau for
Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism said that the
inability of security agencies in Nigeria to share intelligence
report because of animosity is affecting the success in the fight
against Boko Haram.

“The public disagreement between the army and police over the
security arrangements that were in place in Dapchi and other
communities in Yobe State a few days before the Boko Haram attack
that led to the abduction of the 110 girls has further lent
credence to the position of the US Department of State’s Bureau for
Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism.

“President Buhari must, therefore, have to look inward and purge
his government of those benefitting from the insurgency is indeed
he desires that it should end.”

EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has alleged that Boko
Haram has become source of indirect treasury looting; saying “Those
benefitting from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scams, payment
of ransom (in dollars) to free those abducted by the Boko Haram
insurgents, among others will never wish to see the end of the
insurgency.”

The governor described the alleged withdrawal of military
check-points from Dapchi and other communities, few days before 110
students of Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) were
abducted by Boko Haram, as major pointer to possible conspiracy in
the abduction of the schoolgirls and other dastardly acts of the
insurgents, asking why no one had been questioned up till now
despite conflicting claims by the army and police.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant on
Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose
insisted that withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude
Account by the federal government was a continuation of the use of
fight against the insurgents to fleece the country.

He lamented that Nigerians were now getting to a state of
helplessness on the insurgency; adding that “Painfully, it appears
we will have to live with Boko Haram for a very long time because
waiting for this President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government
to save Nigerians is a waste of time. They boasted that Boko Haram
will be defeated within three months; it is now more than 30
months. All that they have told Nigerians is grammar. Boko Haram
technically defeated, Boko Haram completely defeated and now Boko
Haram completely degraded. ”

The governor said; “We have heard stories of alleged diversion
of foods and relief materials meant for the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) in the North-East to Chad and Niger Republic, about
200 tons of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for
distribution to the IDPs sold in the open market in Abuja and most
importantly, use of the IDPs camps by top government officials to
perpetrate monumental fraud.

“As long as the fight against Boko Haram remains a business
venture, providing cheap money for top officials of this
government, the insurgency will continue.

“The anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International said
last year that corruption in the military was weakening Nigeria’s
efforts to battle Boko Haram.

“In Transparency International’s words; ‘corrupt military
officials have been able to benefit from the conflict through the
creation of fake defence contracts, the proceeds of which are often
laundered abroad in the UK, U.S. and elsewhere.’

“In its own report, the US Department of State’s Bureau for
Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism said that the
inability of security agencies in Nigeria to share intelligence
report because of animosity is affecting the success in the fight
against Boko Haram.

“The public disagreement between the army and police over the
security arrangements that were in place in Dapchi and other
communities in Yobe State a few days before the Boko Haram attack
that led to the abduction of the 110 girls has further lent
credence to the position of the US Department of State’s Bureau for
Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism.

“President Buhari must, therefore, have to look inward and purge
his government of those benefitting from the insurgency is indeed
he desires that it should end.”