A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said he should not be held accountable for the non-disclosure of individuals allegedly financing terrorism in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday, the retired lieutenant general maintained that while the financiers are known within relevant circles, there are reasons authorities have not made their identities public.
“You cannot say I should be responsible for naming the financiers of terror.
“It’s not just about mentioning names; those agencies know why the names are not released. Action should be taken; these individuals are still within society today, and they are known. I take responsibility for certain things that are strictly the Nigerian Army’s responsibility,” he said.
Buratai also clarified that the policy of rehabilitating repentant members of Boko Haram was a government initiative rather than a military decision.
“The initial concept that we had was that we gave them a timeline to surrender in 2016, and if they surrendered, we gave them a free passage and handed them over to appropriate agencies to rehabilitate them,” he added.
Buratai laments over insecurity
The former ambassador expressed concern over the country’s security challenges, calling for improved intelligence gathering and increased recruitment into security agencies to better tackle terrorism.
Demands for the public identification of terrorism financiers have persisted over the years, especially after the federal government announced in 2021 that it had identified several individuals and entities linked to funding insurgent groups.
Agencies such as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit have also reported tracking suspicious financial flows tied to terrorism.
However, the identities of those allegedly involved have largely remained undisclosed, drawing criticism from civil society groups and security experts who argue that transparency is key to addressing impunity.
Nigeria has faced a prolonged insurgency in its North-East region, with Boko Haram and its splinter factions responsible for thousands of deaths and widespread displacement over the past decade.
