Proceeds Of Kidnapping Used To Fuel Boko Haram Insurgency- NGF
The Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, yesterday raised the alarm that proceeds from kidnappings in the Northeast were used to fuel the Boko Haram insurgency in the zone. Chairmen of NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi stated this after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the NGF Chairman said: “There is a direct correlation, I’ve said this to you before, between insurgency in the northeast, and what we’re seeing manifesting itself as banditry in the northwest, or kidnapping in the southwest. Some of the people involved in these are also the ones responsible for insurgency.
“They are using the resources that they make from kidnapping for the activities that they’re conducting in the northeast.
“So, we need to take a comprehensive look at all these things and not treat them in compartments. We must treat them as a comprehensive issue and then tackle them collectively.”
He commended the efforts of the nation’s security forces, saying that even though he was one of those who advocated for the change of service chiefs, he did not expect a dramatic turnaround so soon. Governor Fayemi said, “Well, first of all, let me say that Mr President has taken the right step in changing the leadership of the security services. I, as you would recall, was one of those speaking on behalf of my colleagues that argued for that to happen. So, I think the President has done the right thing.
“We never suggested, even at the time we were arguing for a change of guard in the leadership, that that was going to be an automatic transformation of the security situation, simply on account of change of leadership.
“We were not that naive to think that would happen, however, precisely because there’s been a change, you can see that there is also a concerted effort.
“Two or three days ago, all the service chiefs came together to issue a statement that we are accountable to our Chief of Defence Staff. That’s a very significant position to take because we know what has been the source of inter-service rivalry in our military, which then tends to affect performance on the field, where the air force does not communicate with the army and yet they are supposed to be involved in the same war against insurgency.
“So, the fact that there is unanimity and they are trying to speak with one voice, I believe that’s a significant step in boosting the morale of the men on the field and the efforts that they are taking to go round, audit the equipment, audit the situation of their men are also going to help to improve the condition of the security services.
“I can tell you and I don’t think I’ll be breaching any confidence that one of the good news I came away with, from the President now on this issue is that he’s already informed the National Assembly that they will be receiving a special request from him on procurement of equipment on an accelerated basis for our security services because that was one of the issues that we put before him and he was very categorical that yes, we have a point. Some of the equipment that had been procured is on the way, they haven’t arrived, but they will soon arrive.
“There is also a need to buy more equipment and he is going into government-to-government partnership with a number of countries and that would necessitate an accelerated clearance from the National Assembly.’