The Northern Youths Council of Nigeria has given an ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari. The youths said if Buhari doesn’t expose those sponsoring terrorism in 14 days, there will be consequences.
This was disclosed in a statement by the President of the Northern Youths Council of Nigeria, Isah Abubakar on Thursday.
During Wednesday’s “Sunrise Daily” programme on Channels Television, a guest, Kunle Olawunmi, a retired Navy Commodore and Professor of Intelligence and Global Security Studies, said “he was member of a Committee that interrogated a senior member of this government on Boko Haram related issues”.
He said: “In April this year, the government said they had arrested 400 Bureau De Change (BDCs)-related people that were sponsoring Boko Haram. They told us.”
“Try them, we know them. Why can’t this government, if not that they are partisan, why can they bring those people out for trial?” he asked.
Referencing his time as a member of the military intelligence team in 2017, he noted that there are some things he cannot disclose to the public.
“I can’t come on air and start mentioning names of people that are presently in government that the boys we arrested mentioned.
“Some of them are governors now. Some of them are in the Senate. Some of them are in Aso Rock,” he said.
Subsequently, the Northern Youths Council noted that the weighty allegation if not properly treated, via deliberate government action is capable of further polarising Nigeria, which is faced with different cessation agitations.
A statement by the Council further said it wishes to “call on Mr President to immediately sack Mr Abubakar Malami (Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) who first brought the issue of the sponsors of insecurity to the public with the promise of unveiling their identity but failed to do so, which has led to this embarrassing and weighty allegation of sectionalism against the government.
“We believe strongly that the Attorney-General is not doing much in prosecuting Boko Haram and ISWAP elements that have been arrested and the over 400 Bureau de Change Operators that are either in the custody of our security agents or have probably regained their freedom.
“The Council is of the firm belief that there can’t be peace without justice, hence, the office of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation should be occupied by a proactive and more intelligent person other than the snail-paced and docile Malami.
The Council further noted that “Poor Northerners are the victims of terrorism and banditry, hence, any attempt to further shield the identity of the Bureau De Change operators financing the spilling of the blood of our brothers will be meted with massive protest.
“By this, the Council is serving the government a 14-day pre-protest notice. Failure to unveil the identity of the sponsors of the killers of our brothers and sisters, we shall have no other alternative but to occupy the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory until our demands are met.”
