The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has revealed that some recently arrested Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East were working with prison guards to plan the attack from the prison. .
Mr Musa made this known on Tuesday when he appeared in the House of Commons along with the heads of services and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
He told lawmakers that the terrorists were able to use the accounts of some guards to pass funds to accomplices outside the prison, adding that whoever used the account would receive a 50% share of the funds. He added that it was a deal that he would get it.
“Correctional Facility Issues When we were interviewing some of the arrested Boko Haram men in the Northeast, they told us how they could plan operations on the ground from prison. They handed over the funds,” Moosa said.
“They’re using some of the guards there. I’m not saying they’re all corrupt. They’re using their own accounts, and who’s using those accounts? But we have an arrangement where we share it 50-50. Those are the challenges.”
Moussa also complained that the country’s borders are porous, claiming there are more than 1,000 border crossings where people enter and exit without being tested.
He said: “There are light weapons and small arms out there. Human trafficking is rampant. It’s important that we have good border controls so we can keep track of people coming in and going out.”
Mr Musa added that there are more than 73 uninhabited forests in Niger State alone, arguing that these are places where non-state actors operate and the judiciary is frustrating the fight against terrorism in the country.
“On the question of justice, I have been in the North-East. It has incorporated a lot of Boko Haram elements. We have kept it for five to six years. Although we, the military, can make arrests, , cannot be prosecuted.
“Some of them were found as suspects but were not prosecuted. We keep them for this long period of time. We cannot prosecute.
“The other aspect of justice is that you do everything in your power to arrest him, extradite him, and before he even gets in the car, the guy is released on bail. Now, you put yourself at risk and he gets released. Until then, I’m going to tell people who arrested him.”
In the southeast, Musa also called for the extradition of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from his base of operations in Finland.
He described Mr Ekpa as a “threat” to the country, claiming the IPOB leader’s words and actions were inciting violence and undermining security in south-eastern Nigeria.
“The extradition issue is very important. What I’m saying here is that we need to arrest those who are supporting terrorism, those who are killing our people.
“We need to work with our international partners to ensure those supporting terrorism are brought to justice.”
Source: guardian.ng