Mar. 24, 2014
Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, accused Nigeria’s President and key government officials of possibly supporting state terrorism during a speech on security challenges in Northern Nigeria at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, DC.
Governor Nyako’s speech was delivered during a three-day symposium, March 17-19, on Current Economic, Social and Security Challenges facing Northern Nigeria, organized by the USIP, in collaboration with the governments of Denmark and Norway.
Governor Nyako said, “… the arms, ammunition and explosives being used by so-called Boko Haram are not manufactured in Nigeria. Somebody must have brought them from abroad to the scenes of attacks. With military check-points mounted everywhere in far greater numbers than we had during our civil war and with only the President, the Vice President and their key staff and Governors of the States on one hand and the Nigerian Military on the other who pass these points unchecked, we could safely assume that it is one of the two groups who conveys these weapons up country from the Port(s) after Custom and Security clearance.”
Nyako said the initial assumption was that Boko Haram was religiously motivated when their targets were within the Muslim communities but since then they have bombed United Nations facilities, destroyed churches and mosques and killed large numbers of Muslims and Christians. He said he had written several times to President Jonathan to ask whether the Government knew what type of war it should be fighting; was it a war against terrorists, insurgents or a war against the people in Northern Nigeria.
Nyako asked, “In short, is the massive killing of people and destruction of property and the environment state-sponsored?”
Governor Nyako said, “The security situation we are … facing in Northern Nigeria today could be sponsored, financed and supported by evil minded and over-ambitious leaders of Government and the society for political gains. There is simply no person(s) in the North-Eastern zone rich enough to foot the financial and logistic bills on Boko Haram activities. Somebody outside the zone must have bought these arms, ammunitions and explosives somewhere which is easily traceable, paid the freight charges to Nigeria, cleared them at the Ports, conveyed them up-country through numerous check-points and put them in safe-houses in the States ready to be used by the appointed killers. ”
Nyako added that it was clear there was unhindered coordination between the activities of Boko Haram cells and strategic commanders in Nigeria’s national Defense system. He said, “How else could there be such timely actions regarding the immediate withdrawal of the Military near vital positions such as schools and colleges with the immediate arrival of Boko Haram squad of murderers. Not only are these withdrawals of the Military and the attacks of Boko Haram timely, it is noticed that such attacks would last for hours without counter response by the Military even if they are located at a hearing distance. We have had cases where a fleet of Airforce aircraft was being burnt by Boko Haram near a unit of the Military, yet the latter did not respond. We have had a case when a retired General and a civil-war hero was being shot to death by allegedly Boko Haram attackers in front of soldiers detailed to protect the area, yet there was no response from them.”
The Governor alleged there seems to be an attempt to throw the region into civil war. “There have been attempted assassinations of a number of States’ Governors including my good-self and the Governor of Benue State; a number of top Traditional Leaders of the North including the Shehu of Borno and the Emir of Kano, our Senators and top Business people have also been attacked in broad daylight and escaped death by the skin of their teeth ! Who had given the executive ‘Orders’ to kill us? Is Northern Nigeria facing another demonic Agenda similar to that which wiped away its Political and Military Leaders and killed a number from the Western Region in January, 1966? The Presidency should give us answers to all the foregoing serious questions and we do not want insults by aides in response or harassment by detailed Security operatives ! We want the ANSWERS; Nigeria also wants the ANSWERS; the international community too should want the ANSWERS.”
Governor Nyako said, “The people in the North have also begun to suspect that the Objective of all this is to create enough mayhem for an excuse to deny them their democratic right of Vote by canceling the forthcoming General Elections in the region and also reduce the Voting power of the people there now and in the future through mass killings of its populace especially its youths.”
At the time of filing this report, SaharaReporters learned the Presidency will soon release a statement on their position regarding the allegations made by Governor Nyako.
Full transcript of Nyako’s speech
