Boko Haram: ACF backs Nyako

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has tasked the Federal Government to investigate the allegation brought against it by one of its governors, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state that the Boko Haram sect was the creation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government to destroy the north.

“The scale and sophistication of weapons used for the attacks against armless people is beyond the capacity of the semi-illiterate almajiris that we know,” the Forum said in a statement in Kaduna yesterday.

In the statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, the ACF expressed deep concern over the killings in the region, especially in the North-East.

The ACF said specifically that it had variously called on the Federal Government in the past to probe the sources of funding of the insurgent both internally and externally, but to no avail.

The northern body noted with shock that despite the claim by the military high command that it had seized 700 vehicles and cache of weapons, the activities of the insurgents continued unabated in the North-East.

The statement read in part: “ACF had in the last six years expressed serious concern over the spate of killings and destruction of property by the Boko Haram insurgents and other criminals in the North especially in the North-East region. It had also appealed to Government at various levels on the need to adequately equip and fund its military and other security personnel to tackle the insecurity challenges bedeviling the North.

“Unfortunately the measures employed by government including a state of emergency have not yielded the desired result, hence the incessant attacks and kidnaping of innocent people by the insurgents and unknown gunmen.

“It would be recalled that not long ago, our military command informed the world that it had found and destroyed over 700 vehicles belonging to the insurgents in one of their camps, so as to wither the fighting being waged by the Boko haram insurgents, how come the killings and kidnappings have continued to be on the increase especially in the North-East region?

“ACF had earlier called on the government to thoroughly investigate the source of funds, arms and ammunitions the insurgents have in carrying on with their deadly acts of terrorism against the people without much resistance from our security forces deployed in the affected states.

“Therefore, Governor Nyako being a victim of the calamity that has afflicted the Northern states is only expressing the frustrations being felt by other victims.

“ACF therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently investigate the allegations made by Governor Nyako especially the support being enjoyed by the insurgents from third parties within and outside Nigeria in order to get to the root of this insecurity ravaging the North.”

It would be recalled that Governor Nyako’s first memo to colleague northern governors has stirred intense debate and controversy.

The Governor launched a fresh attack on President Goodluck Jonathan, describing the Jonathan-led administration as the “most arrogant, corrupt and confused ever”, in a bitter exchange of brickbats that began Saturday.

In the letter, the governor said the Federal Government under Mr. Jonathan was behind the spreading of violence that has killed thousands in northern Nigeria. He dismissed Boko Haram as a “phantom” organisation instigated by the government to massacre northerners.

The presidency’s reaction, issued by spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, said the comments from the governor were a betrayal of trust by a major beneficiary of the Nigerian nation.

In a reaction by Ahmad Sajoh, a spokesperson for Mr. Nyako, the governor said the presidency failed to respond to issues raised and resorted to name-calling.