The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has said that Boko Haram is being used by powerful officials within the government of the day to loot the nation’s treasury.
He made this known in a statement published via his verified personal Twitter handle on Thursday.
According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor, many businesses and illegal dealings are being conducted around the Boko Haram insurgency which gives an impression that the powerful beneficiaries do not want the insurgency to end.
He equally accused the federal government of lying to Nigerians about defeating Boko Haram.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his commitment towards ending the insurgency by purging his government of the beneficiaries of the insurgency.
Fayose said, “It appears that Boko Haram has become source of indirect treasury looting. Those benefitting from 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 alleged withdrawal of military check-points from Dapchi and other communities, few days before those 110 Girls were abducted by Boko Haram is no doubt a major pointer to possible conspiracy in the abduction of the school girls and other dastardly acts of the insurgents.
“Nigerians are now getting to a state of helplessness on the insurgency as it now appears we will have to live with Boko Haram for a very long time because waiting for this President Muhammadu Buhari led federal gov 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.
“We have heard stories of diversion of foods and relief materials meant for the Internally 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.
“Most importantly, govt officials are using IDPs camps to perpetrate monumental fraud. As long as 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 defense 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.
“Public disagreement between army and police over security arrangements that were in place in Dapchi a few days before the abduction of the 110 girls has further lend credence to the position of the US Dept of State’s Bureau for Counterterrorism & Countering Violent Extremism.
President Buhari must therefore have to look inward and purge his government of those benefitting from the insurgency if indeed he desires that it should end.”