Boko Haram Used Chibok Ransom to Buy Powerful Weapons - Military Sources Reveal

Top military sources have revealed that the recent increase in the spate of the activities of Boko Haram could be linked to the alleged ransom it received in exchange for the release Chibok girls.

The recent ransom paid to Boko Haram in exchange for
the release of some Chibok girls have contributed to the
recent upsurge in the killings and disappearances of
soldiers engaged in the fight against the insurgents,
senior military sources have revealed.
The military men told Saturday PUNCH that despite
denials by the Federal Government, money was paid to
the sect to secure the release of the abducted girls.
It was learnt that the insurgents demanded for $50m for
the release of the girls but about a quarter of the sum
was eventually paid
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the Federal Government paid
the cash in two currencies – the naira and the CFA
Francs to the leaders of the sect to facilitate the release
of the girls.
But, the highly-ranked military men who are engaged in
the war, and who craved anonymity because they were
not authorised to speak for the military authorities,
attributed the recent upsurge in the activities of the
insurgents to the huge ransom paid for the release of
the girls.
Prior to the current increase in the attacks by the
insurgents, it was learnt that the troops of Operation
Lafiya Dole, deployed in the North-East, had effectively
cut off food and logistics supply to the insurgents.
Some of the sources, who are also commanders at the
war front, said that the troops had effectively defeated
the Boko Haram members, who were on the run while a
good number of them had surrendered and taken to a
rehabilitation camp established by the Defence
Headquarters in Yola.
In October, 21 of the over 200 girls abducted from their
school in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014 were
released by the group.
However, the Federal Government denied exchanging
insurgents for the abducted girls and paying a ransom
to the sect.
But the military sources insisted that Boko Haram did
not release the girls without getting anything in return
and that the Federal Government indeed paid a ransom
and released some of the group’s strategists that were
detainees.
One of the sources said it was sad that the same
government that was initially seen as tough enough to
end insurgency in the country failed to negotiate with
Boko Haram from a position of strength.
“It is unfortunate that in government’s desperation to
secure the release of the Chibok girls, it has put our
(soldiers’) lives in danger by yielding to the demands of
the group to collect a ransom and secure the release of
its commanders.
“It is now obvious that the group has reinforced and
bought more weapons to fight us.”
According to another source, left to the military, the
ransom and the exchange of Boko Haram members for
Chibok girls would not have taken place.
“Funds were given to Boko Haram and now we can all
see the result of that action; there have been renewed
attacks recently and many of our men have been killed
in the process but we will not relent, we will continue to
do our best to secure this nation.
“The military had reservations about the arrangement
but it was not in our hands; it was a political decision
that we had to abide with and it was the DSS that was
directly in charge of the operation,” the source added.
Another source, who is also active in the war theatre,
said, “They got the Chibok girls and suddenly the Boko
Haram that we had beaten and chased out of Sambisa
are attacking and killing men of quality.
“It is very obvious that they have used the money they
got from the deal to buy equipment and recruit men to
carry out their heinous acts.
“The group is still in Mallam Fatori, they have infested
the entire area and their strongest point into Chad is
Abadam. It is from there that they disperse their men to
carry out attacks.
“Another thing you must note is that the towns around
the borders are occupied by mercenaries from foreign
countries. Where did they get the money to fund that?”
Investigation revealed that Boko Haram members, who
were routed out of their dreaded Sambisa enclave by the
military, had regrouped at Abadam, and were still
holding onto the fringes of Mallam Fatori in the northern
part of Borno State.
It was further gathered that the group was engaging the
services of mercenaries with their operational base in
Abadam in the far north, close to Chad.
The latest incidents contradict President Muhammadu
Buhari’s assertion on December 24, 2015 that Nigeria
had “technically” won the war against Boko Haram and
that the militant group could no longer mount
conventional attacks against security forces or
population centres.
Following the President’s assertion, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, also said on
December 27, 2015 that “we have been vindicated
because Boko Haram have been decapitated compared
to the past records.”
The sect gained international attention when it
kidnapped 219 Chibok schoolgirls on April 14, 2014.
Two years later, on April 10, 2016, the group said it
wanted a $50m (N15.7bn) ransom to free the Chibok
girls, according to a report by The Sunday Telegraph of
London.
The publication said it gathered from sources close to
the sect that the demand was made “during secret
contacts with the government of President Muhammadu
Buhari, who has said he is willing to negotiate for the
girls’ freedom.”
The sect’s six-year insurgency has led to the deaths of
over 17,000 people, destruction of more than 1,000
schools and displacement of about two million people.
Between May 2015 when President Buhari assumed
office and October 2016, the insurgents have carried out
over 20 attacks, leading to the deaths of over 2,600
Nigerians.

Source: The Punch