A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said the responsibility for disclosing the identities of individuals allegedly financing terrorism in Nigeria does not rest with him, despite longstanding public demands for such revelations.
The retired lieutenant general stated that those funding insurgent activities are already known to relevant authorities, but declined to give reasons their names have not been made public.
Buratai made the remarks on Friday while featuring on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television.
He stressed that the task of naming and prosecuting suspected financiers lies with appropriate security and intelligence agencies, noting that such decisions involve considerations beyond public disclosure.
“It is not my duty to publish the names of those backing terrorism.
The responsible agencies are aware of them and understand why the information has not been released.
The key issue is ensuring necessary action is taken, as these individuals are known and remain within the society,” he said.
The former army chief also addressed the controversial rehabilitation of repentant members of Boko Haram, explaining that the policy was initiated by the Federal Government rather than the military.
According to him, the Armed Forces had, in 2016, introduced a window for insurgents to surrender voluntarily, after which those who laid down their arms were transferred to designated government institutions for rehabilitation and reintegration.
Buratai further raised concerns over Nigeria’s security challenges, calling for improved intelligence operations to better combat terrorism and other criminal threats.
He also advocated increased recruitment into the nation’s security agencies to strengthen manpower and enhance operational effectiveness.
Calls for the exposure of terrorism sponsors have intensified since 2021 when the Federal Government announced it had identified several individuals and entities allegedly linked to insurgency financing.
In the same vein, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit previously disclosed that it had traced suspicious financial transactions connected to terror networks, while security agencies stepped up efforts to dismantle such structures.
However, the continued non-disclosure of the alleged financiers has attracted criticism from civil society groups and security analysts, who argue that making the information public is crucial to ensuring accountability and deterring further support for insurgency.
Nigeria has grappled with a protracted insurgency in the North-East for over a decade, with Boko Haram and its offshoots responsible for widespread killings and displacement of communities.