Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has revealed that Nigeria’s security agencies know who is funding terrorism in the country but cannot publicly disclose their identities.
He made the statement on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, while addressing public concern over why the names of terror sponsors remain secret.
“You cannot say I should be responsible for naming the financiers of terror,” Buratai said.
He explained that the decision to withhold these names rests with the appropriate authorities, adding that there are specific reasons for not making the information public.
“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,” he added.
Buratai’s remarks come as security worries rise following fresh attacks in the North-East, especially in Borno State, which continue to raise questions about how effective Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts are.
He also clarified the military’s role in the rehabilitation of former Boko Haram members, stressing that the Nigerian Army is not directly responsible for the programme.
According to him, the initiative was a government policy, while the Army only provided an initial surrender window for insurgents in 2016.
“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,” Buratai said.
He concluded by calling for better intelligence gathering and more recruitment of security personnel, warning that Nigeria’s security challenges need a stronger and well-coordinated response.
