Former Basic Officer Commanding (GOC), 1st Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Military, Main Basic Ali-Keffi, has revealed that the financing of terrorism, procurement and motion of arms and ammunition for Boko Haram and different felony components have ties to the army.
Basic Ali-Keffi, who was compelled out of the military for exposing his colleagues' involvement in terrorist financing, made this identified in a letter to President Bola Tinubu, which additionally detailed his arrest, detention and necessary retirement described.
“Probably the most worrying side was that some individuals concerned in terrorist financing of Boko Haram terrorists and who have been additionally concerned within the procurement and motion of arms and ammunition for Boko Haram and different felony organizations had hyperlinks to the army,” he said .
Ali-Keffi, who led Operation Service Huge (OPS) arrange by former President Muhammadu Buhari to analyze these concerned in terrorist financing, stated his arrest, detention and necessary retirement adopted the report of his group that uncovered the involvement of senior authorities officers. a high banker and high soldier within the area of terrorist financing.
Ali-Keffi revealed within the letter that he headed a presidential investigative activity drive and established a Board of Inquiry (BOI), convened by Main Basic BM Monguno (rtd), the previous Nationwide Safety Advisor (NSA), who served on the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Council. Security Advisor (ONSA) for 5 weeks from the start of January to the top of February 2020.
“I used to be the chairman of the BOI with members/secretaries drawn from the NCS, NIS, DSS, NIA, ONSA, NFIU and from the Dutch Security Board, which largely carried out its work as an investigative physique tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the case . unlawful smuggling of petroleum merchandise in 168 oil tankers to the Republic of Benin by means of a single smuggling route in Ilesa Barbara, Kwara State,” he stated.
He stated the BoI went additional “to hint 295 oil tankers carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and recognized the principle smugglers”.
The petition said that the BoI had made an essential discovery relating to the connection between the smuggling racket, terrorism ravaging the Northeast, and the banditry/kidnapping for ransom, which continues to be rampant within the Northwest and components of North Central. was within the preliminary part. geopolitical zones.
This included, he alleged, unlawful mining of minerals within the North-West and North-Central and large-scale laundering of funds supposed primarily for counter-terrorism/insurgency operations going down primarily within the northern areas of the nation.
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“A syndicate with an in depth community within the nation and affiliated with a global felony community was the middle for transferring terrorism funds for different felony actions talked about above,” he stated.
He added: “It was thus clear that terrorism and insurgency within the North East, North West and North Central was a felony enterprise and was largely undertaken for revenue slightly than any ideology as a major motive.
“We on the BoI thus got here to the apparent conclusion that progress can solely be achieved if the financiers, collaborators, supporters and management of the terrorists and rebel teams are recognized and the community is dismantled,” he stated.
The petitioner stated suggestions on the findings have been made and submitted to the presidency however have been swept beneath the carpet due to the highly effective people concerned.
The petition stated the operation efficiently infiltrated the management of terror teams within the North East, culminating of their decimation, including that key terrorist financiers had hyperlinks to the people convicted of terror financing within the UAE.
The petitioner famous that the issues began when the duty drive “fell sufferer to unfair assaults,” together with the lack of funding for its operations.
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“This helps the argument that some highly effective people inside and out of doors the federal government, in addition to from the army, have been uncomfortable with the duty drive and particularly with my humble self as commander,” he stated.
The petitioner stated the loss of life of Lieutenant Basic Ibrahim Attahiru, beneath whose workplace he served as GOC, dealt a blow to the duty drive as the brand new Military Chief, Lieutenant Basic Faruk Yahaya, eliminated him as GOC 1 Mechanized Division, Kaduna.
He famous that the presidency and the AGF subsequently grew to become “much less useful.”
Based on him, the whole episode culminated in his arrest and detention for 64 days in solitary confinement, the place he slept on the ground, with all its well being penalties.
He lamented that essentially the most painful a part of his expertise was that President Buhari, who accredited his management of the duty drive, didn’t come to his rescue.
He implored President Tinubu for his intervention within the matter, saying: “Please guarantee an investigation into the circumstances surrounding my arrest, detention, beatings and obligatory retirement from the Nigerian Military.”
He additionally requested that his necessary retirement from the army be reviewed and transformed into voluntary retirement, in addition to approval of compensation for the bills incurred by the duty drive on renting autos and lodging. This could embody compensation for ache and accidents suffered throughout detention and approval of private safety, he stated.
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