In a recent interview with Arise News TV,
Australian hostage negotiator, Stephen
Davis, who was hired by the Nigerian
government some months back to help
negotiate with Boko Haram members to
facilitate the release of abducted Chibok
girls, mentioned the name of former Borno
state Governor, Alimodu Sheriff as a
sponsor of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.
He also said that an unnamed past Chief of
Army Staff who was sacked by Pres.
Jonathan was also a sponsor of the group.
In the video released yesterday, Davis was
very quick to mention the names of the
alleged sponsors.
"The first thing to do.. go and arrest former
Governor, Sheriff. Former Borno Governor
Sheriff who has been funding this for years.
He hooks these guys up. He is so frightened
that he has switched party to the ruling
PDP in the hope that this would give him
protection. That guy has really got to go
and you know he is enormously corrupt."
Continue...
"Why the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission has not yet picked him up is
anybody's guess. There is a...the former
Chief of Army Staff retired in January but
was actually sacked by the President is
another sponsor. I would give you the
names if you like, I have no fear of this. We
are very confident and in fact Boko Haram
senior commanders who have been naming
them in the interactions I have had with
them over many months, confirming what
we knew sometime before from other
commanders" he said.
After the interview was released, former FCT
Minister, Mallam Nasir El Rufai took to his
facebook page to say that the unnamed
former army Chief is Lt. Gen Ihejirika rtd,
the immediate past Chief of Army staff.
Below is what El-Rufai posted on his
facebook page
" Australian hostage negotiator Stephen
Davis has just named Former Borno
Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and immediate
chief of army staff Lt-Gen Ihejirika
(removed in January 2014) as the Boko
Haram brains on ARISE NEWS. Davis said
Boko Haram commanders that he has been
negotiating with as the source of this
information. The kingpins not only finance
BH operations but select targets for
assassination and execution. Finally, the
truth about BH is coming out. Hopefully,
the murderers of General Muhammadu
Shuwa, the abductors of the Chibok girls,
those truly responsible for the Nyanya
bombings, and attempted assassination of
General Buhari and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi
will be known. We hope the authorities will
take the steps necessary to act on this
revelation, and thereby discharge their duty
to protect us, the citizens of Nigeria. That is
just what it is, a hope!".
Reacting to the claims against him made by
El Rufai, Lt Gen Ihejirika who spoke with
Vanguard said he isn't surprised that the
allegation is coming from the former
minister who he said is the real sponsor of
Boko.
"The Commanders including El-Rufai know
where the problem is. He should stop
deceiving Nigerians by trying to divert
attention. When the Boko Haram operation
started, supporters of the sect like El Rufai
said that there was nothing like Boko
Haram and that the Army was just killing
innocent youths. If you also remember, not
too long ago, some of their supporters
including El-Rufai said that I was re-
inventing the killing of the Ibos during the
Biafra war following government's
determination to rid the country of
terrorism. The likes of El Rufai started the
campaign of human rights abuses in order
to divert international attention from the
heinous crime being committed by the Boko
Haram terrorist. The likes of El Rufai have
been supporting Boko Haram. Infact, El
Rufai and his likes are the same group of
people that ensured the army did not get
the requested equipment to deal with the
menace once and for all as they used their
cohorts to tell the government that
procuring modern equipment was
unnecessary. At the onset of this crisis, I
was the first person to declare that the
country was at war but a group of sponsors
led by El Rufai disagreed, saying that it was
not true. It is the same group of El-Rufai
that started the human rights abuses
campaign. It was done in order to block any
international assistance after the state of
emergency was declared and the sect was
initially tamed. That gave Boko Haram time
and respite to build up again" he said
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