Who is funding Boko Haram: Federal Lawmaker queries

By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

A federal lawmaker at the House of Representative, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi has queried the source of Boko Haram funding, wondering why the sect thrives in information gathering regarding the movement of the Nigerian Military.

Gagdi representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam constituency of Plateau State, seeks answers to these questions while addressing journalists on Thursday on the brutal murder of a Plateau teenager by Boko Haram insurgents.

“Federal government must widen its intelligence network to identify the source of funding of the activities of the insurgents, the source of their firearms, the source of their petroleum products to power their vehicles and sundry other supplies to the insurgents in their hideouts. The biggest problem is their source of intelligence and how they gather information regarding the movements and plans of the military forces”, he said.

The lawmaker who extends his condolence to the family of the slain Plateau teenager also lamented that the sect is targeting mostly Christian Plateau citizens as their victims.

“Not long ago, a similar video of the gory killing of two Plateau citizens from Mangu local government area was released by the insurgents with similar message of their intention to continually abduct and kill in like manner Christian citizens of Plateau State. Two other constituents of mine were also ambushed and killed along Maiduguri-Damaturu road by Boko Haram on 23rd December, 2019”.

“As the representative of the good people of Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Local Government Areas in National Assembly, I found this act of the Boko Haram insurgents as not only condemnable but it is devilish. It is a bad tone that is capable of igniting religious conflagration between Muslims and Christians citizens of Plateau state and Nigeria as a country.

“While I challenge the federal government to go beyond lip service to guarantee the safety of Nigerians anywhere within the country, I passionately appeal to the Executive Governor of Plateau State to, as a matter of urgency, set up a machinery in motion by considering the appointment of a delegation to visit the executive Governor of Borno State and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri to elicit a convincing plan of action by the government of the state and the school management, of guaranteeing the safety of Christian Plateau students studying in the state. Otherwise, I would strongly advocate that negotiations with JAMB, University of Jos and Plateau State University Bokkos as well as other institutions within the north central be held with the view to securing  admission for them outside the northeast, where activities of the insurgents is most prevalent”, Gagdi said.