Reactions continued to trail the recent identifications of two Nigerians, a former military chief and an ex governor as top sponsors of the deadly terrorist boko-haram sect by Stephen Davies, a foreign hostage negotiator in Australia, allegedly hired by the Nigerian government to mediate with boko haram.
The sponsors were identified as former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Azubuike Ihejirika and a former Bornu state governor Modu Sheriff.
General Ihejirika denied the allegations, and for some reason, appeared to concentrate his bullets on the emissary Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of being a boko-haram Commander.
In his words "The likes of El-Rufai have been supporting Boko Haram," he said in his rebuttal. "In fact, El-Rufai and his likes are the same group of people that ensured the army did not to get the requested equipment to deal with this menace once and for all, as they used their cohorts to tell the government that procuring modern equipment were not necessary."
"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. El-Rufai said that I was re-inventing the killing of the Igbos during the Biafra war following government's determination to rid the country of terrorism."
On his part, Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), maintained that: "Any local investigation conducted by the federal government in the circumstance might be manipulated by vested political interests."
In a statement titled: 'Arrest and Prosecute Boko Haram Sponsors' Falana said "In a well-publicised televised interview in London last week, the international negotiator disclosed that a former Governor of Borno State, a former Chief of Army Staff and a former top official of the Central Bank of Nigeria have provided funds and other logistics to the nihilist body for terrorist attacks which had claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people in the country. The disclosure was backed with some detailed accounts which confirmed some information in the domain of the security forces in the country,".
Quoting the words of the Ambassador Usman Galtimari Committee on insurgency, he said it was recommended to President Jonathan that he should start the prosecution of "some politicians, who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram."
Falana added "Although the White Paper was published in May 2012, the directive of the federal government has not been carried out up till now because the individuals involved are said to be connected to the presidency. However, the special envoy of the federal government has just named one of the kingpins and sponsors of the terrorist sect,".
Information reveal that Nigerian peharps might have reached the Davis level in April 2012 when National Security Adviser, Owoeye Azazi, speaking a few months after President Jonathan's remarks, said Nigeria needed to investigate the root of the level of violence in Northeastern Nigeria [to establish] whether it had escalated because the group out of the blue became better trained, better equipped and better funded.
He attributed the growing insecurity to what he called "undemocratic practices" by the political parties, and specifically indicting the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).
"The issue of violence did not increase in Nigeria until when there was a declaration by the current president that he was going to contest. PDP got it wrong from the beginning. The party started by saying Mr. A can rule, and Mr. B cannot rule, according to PDP conventions, rules and regulations and not according to the constitution. That created the climate for what is happening or manifesting itself in the country... "
Unfortunately, two months after this incident, Azazi was fired, worse still he died in a helicopter accident seven months later.
Azazi's death ended any hopes of any more uncomfortable questions from within the upper echelons of power, but this revelation by Davis means that the old file ought to be re-visited.
General Ihejirika denied the allegations, and for some reason, appeared to concentrate his bullets on the emissary Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of being a boko-haram Commander.
In his words "The likes of El-Rufai have been supporting Boko Haram," he said in his rebuttal. "In fact, El-Rufai and his likes are the same group of people that ensured the army did not to get the requested equipment to deal with this menace once and for all, as they used their cohorts to tell the government that procuring modern equipment were not necessary."
"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. El-Rufai said that I was re-inventing the killing of the Igbos during the Biafra war following government's determination to rid the country of terrorism."
On his part, Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), maintained that: "Any local investigation conducted by the federal government in the circumstance might be manipulated by vested political interests."
In a statement titled: 'Arrest and Prosecute Boko Haram Sponsors' Falana said "In a well-publicised televised interview in London last week, the international negotiator disclosed that a former Governor of Borno State, a former Chief of Army Staff and a former top official of the Central Bank of Nigeria have provided funds and other logistics to the nihilist body for terrorist attacks which had claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people in the country. The disclosure was backed with some detailed accounts which confirmed some information in the domain of the security forces in the country,".
Quoting the words of the Ambassador Usman Galtimari Committee on insurgency, he said it was recommended to President Jonathan that he should start the prosecution of "some politicians, who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram."
Falana added "Although the White Paper was published in May 2012, the directive of the federal government has not been carried out up till now because the individuals involved are said to be connected to the presidency. However, the special envoy of the federal government has just named one of the kingpins and sponsors of the terrorist sect,".
Information reveal that Nigerian peharps might have reached the Davis level in April 2012 when National Security Adviser, Owoeye Azazi, speaking a few months after President Jonathan's remarks, said Nigeria needed to investigate the root of the level of violence in Northeastern Nigeria [to establish] whether it had escalated because the group out of the blue became better trained, better equipped and better funded.
He attributed the growing insecurity to what he called "undemocratic practices" by the political parties, and specifically indicting the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).
"The issue of violence did not increase in Nigeria until when there was a declaration by the current president that he was going to contest. PDP got it wrong from the beginning. The party started by saying Mr. A can rule, and Mr. B cannot rule, according to PDP conventions, rules and regulations and not according to the constitution. That created the climate for what is happening or manifesting itself in the country... "
Unfortunately, two months after this incident, Azazi was fired, worse still he died in a helicopter accident seven months later.
Azazi's death ended any hopes of any more uncomfortable questions from within the upper echelons of power, but this revelation by Davis means that the old file ought to be re-visited.
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