Stephen Davis, an Australian hostage
negotiator who spent some time in Nigeria
trying to secure the release of more than
200 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko
Haram militants in Chibok, Borno State, told
SaharaReporters that he stands by his
widely reported allegations that former
Governor Modu Sherriff of Borno State and
a former Chief of Army staff, General
Azubuike Ihejirika (ret.), were among the
top sponsors of the Islamist insurgents
who have massacred thousands of
Nigerians and foreigners and made the
northeast part of Nigeria a highly
militarized zone.
In an extensive telephone interview with
SaharaReporters yesterday, Dr. Davis also
accused an unnamed senior official of the
Central Bank of Nigeria as well as a man
based in Cairo, Egypt whom he claimed
operates as Boko Haram’s bagman. He said
both men, in addition to Mr. Sheriff and
former General Ihejirika, were major players
in the funding and continued existence of
the deadly Islamist sect.
Dr. Davis told SaharaReporters that he did
not want to name the CBN official as this
may prejudice investigation by Nigeria’s
security services. Both accused men have
reacted furiously to Mr. Davis’ allegation,
with the former Borno governor
threatening to travel to Australia to sue his
accuser while Mr. Ihejirika accused former
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,
Nasir El Rufai, of being a “commander” of
Boko Haram. Three days ago, Mr. El Rufai
had posted transcripts and video of Mr.
Davis’ accusations of the former governor
and ex-Army chief on social media.
Asked whether Mr. El Rufai and former
military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, had a
hand in funding or sponsoring Boko
Haram, Dr. Davis said their names have not
been mentioned to him by any Boko Haram
connections.
Also, asked to explain why Mr. Ihejirika, a
non-Muslim who hails from the
predominantly Christian southeastern part
of Nigeria, became a Boko Haram
“sponsor,” Mr. Davis said, “Boko Haram
commanders and some connected with
them told me on several occasions Ihejirika
was one of their sponsors.”
He also disclosed that Mr. Sheriff always had
the best military protection in Nigeria’s
violence-plagued northeast, a protection he
claimed the ex-governor enjoyed after he
left office.
Dr. Davis reiterated that his allegations were
informed by discussions he had with
several Boko Haram field commanders over
a long period of time. Asked if President
Goodluck Jonathan was aware of the
insurgents’ sponsors and their specific
roles, Dr. Davis said he was unsure of the
extent of information currently before
President Jonathan. He added that Mr.
Jonathan had been weakened by lack of
military loyalty and a history of security
negligence. He gave the example of
repeated attempts to bring the growth of Al
Qa’eda associated cells to the attention of
NSA’s since 2006 only to have them dismiss
such reports as baseless. “By the time
Goodluck Jonathan became president Boko
Haram had become a potent weapon with a
command structure embedded in 16
northern states fanned by support from
corrupt politicians.”
He further gave the example of Nigeria’s
Minister of Defense, Aliyu Gusau, whom he
accused of basically leaving Mr. Jonathan to
carry his can without taking any
responsibility for his work.
The Australian negotiator also revealed that
his years working with Nigerian presidents
on matters of terrorism had shown that,
even when some prominent individuals are
known to be involved in criminality, the
presidents are simply too afraid to take
them on. He cited the example of the Niger
Delta region. He told SaharaReporters that
he and former President Olusegun
Obasanjo found out that Abiye Sekibo, who
was then Mr. Obasanjo’s Transport Minister,
had contracted the assassins who killed a
prominent politician, Harry Marshall. He said
he tried to persuade Mr. Obasanjo to
prosecute Mr. Sekibo, but the then
president declined, stating that such a trial
could bring down his government.
Dr. Davis touched on several aspects of
Boko Haram activities, showing that he was
quite knowledgeable about the sect’s
actions. He told SaharaReporters that Boko
Haram runs about six major camps in the
northeast and neighboring countries,
adding that 700 fighters inhabited each
camp. In addition there are a range of
smaller camps within Borno State, which
are often temporary and to which
kidnapped girls are taken to be used by the
insurgents.
The Australian revealed that earlier this year
Boko Haram was a loose coalition of three
Islamist militant groups that worked with
one another, claiming that, since four
months ago, the sects had merged into one
single entity, become more cohesive,
strategically effective and powerful. “They
are now linking with other terrorist group
in the region and will soon be very difficult
to dismantle. If these political sponsors
think they can turn these groups off after
the 2015 elections they are going to be
surprised to find it is out of their control.”
On why he had chosen to speak out publicly
at this time, Dr. Davis stated that, from
experience, any terrorist group that has
lasted more than eight years after its
formation would likely exist for another 20
or more years before it can be dismantled.
It thus becomes embedded for a
generation and the likelihood of
dismantling it was very low. “If we don’t do
our utmost now to dismantle Boko Haram
then we may not be able to do so for
another generation. That is a very gloomy
scenario for Nigeria.”
He touched on former National Security
Adviser, Owoye Andrew Azazi, whom he
described as utterly corrupt. He said Mr.
Azazi, who was a retired Army general, was
planning to buy into the Hilton hotel chain
in London to the tune of $100 million
before he died in a helicopter crash on
December 15, 2012.
Dr. Davis painted a portrait of Nigeria’s
various intelligence units as operating in
silos that refuse to share information that
could tame terrorist groups. To illustrate his
point, the Australian cited the example of
the State Security Services. According to
him, months after the SSS won the
extradition from the Sudan of Aminu
Ogwuche, a suspected terror mastermind
who reportedly planned the deadly
bombing of an Abuja bus station, the
intelligence agency had yet to interrogate
Mr. Ogwuche about his links with the three
young men he reportedly contracted to
carry out the bombing.
Dr. Davis said the young men were three in
number and that they lived in the home of a
CBN official who also carried out banking
transactions for Boko Haram through the
CBN. He said two other young collaborators
in the Nyanya Motor Park bombing remain
on the run.
The Australian hostage negotiator vowed to
make more revelations about Boko Haram’s
sponsors, adding that he believed the sect
could only be dismantled if their sponsors
were exposed and prosecuted. In
particular, he said he could not see why the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) had not already moved on Sheriff for
his extensive looting of public funds when
he was the Borno State governor, and for
leaving the roads in Borno State in a terrible
shape that has enabled Boko Haram to
ambush Nigeria troops and massacre them
mercilessly. He also added that the former
governor should face the ultimate trial for
financing the recruitment of young men to
the Islamist sect.
Dr. Davis dismissed Mr. Sheriff’s threat to
travel to Australia to sue him for his
statements as grandstanding and seeking
to divert attention from the real issue of Mr.
Sheriff’s involvement with Boko Haram. He
added that he would be pleased to meet
the former governor at the airport
whenever he developed the courage to
come to Australia.

What is the meaning of this?

Pinkytracy: What is the meaning of this?

Me sef dey wonder ooo

Substerfuge: Hocus pocus:. I say Davis is unskilled and grossly uneducated in international politics. He was part of the tools used to destroy Zimbabue and Mugabe.

lobbish

Anoda dumb thread floated by a lame dog.

And Jonathan and his agents will be forming deaf and dumb - hoping another Boko Haram bomb will come up and silence this revelations.

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His opinions r not needed,GEJ knows his enemies,besides we caant believe wat some BH commandant told him, Mr Aussie thanks for d saliva u used in negotiating

Chai... dere ris god ooo [color=#990000][/color]

sorry nigerians, the end is near!

I think this is another opportunity for A.PC to come out en-mass to tell nigeria who was responsible to bokoaram ibo have been killings nigeria so long and here they will come tell us rubbish this Azubuike Ihejirika will not go unpunished

I think this is another opportunity for A.PC to come out en-mass to tell nigeria who was responsible to bokoaram because pdp has tanish the image of A.P.C ibo have been killings nigeria so long and here they will come tell us rubbish this Azubuike Ihejirika will not go unpunished

saytan: sorry nigerians, the end is near!

na true ooo"de near is end"

Daves u re one of them......
buhari is ur chief

johnmartus: I think this is another opportunity for A.PC to come out en-mass to tell nigeria who was responsible to bokoaram because pdp has tanish the image of A.P.C ibo have been killings nigeria so long and here they will come tell us rubbish this Azubuike Ihejirika will not go unpunished

APC is the political wing of boko haram

Some people are too shell shocked and almost speechless. See the kind of comments above. They wished Buhari's name was mentioned.
Now, will those who have consistently sold the lie that Buhari was involved have the decency to apologise and seek forgiveness from God for slanderous comments against an innocent man?

which way nigeria

Pinkytracy: What is the meaning of this?

i was just wondering

Gush,,,i hate most of d igbos in politics section of nairaland,,y x it alwaz so hard for u guys to say d truth,,if dis man mentioned tinubu and buhari now,u will say he z sayin d truth,instead of u pple to start askin questions,we should all find a way to go to abuja n ask GeJ alot of cwios question,we cant keep living lik dis in dis country,,,infact i will prefer Nigeria dividing in 2015,cox wit dis typ of mentality from our foolish leaders lik OBJ n GEJ n blind supporters,,Nigria z goin no where.

well wat can I say,,,,,,but mind u people day this Sahara reporters are own by shekau and control by buhari answer Co

johnmartus: I think this is another opportunity for A.PC to come out en-mass to tell nigeria who was responsible to bokoaram ibo have been killings nigeria so long and here they will come tell us rubbish this Azubuike Ihejirika will not go unpunished

you be M.U.M.U oooo so ihejirika can use cement on shekau's brain to turn against his people? your simply a dullard.

omoalaro: Some people are too shell shocked and almost speechless. See the kind of comments above. They wished Buhari's name was mentioned.
Now, will those who have consistently sold the lie that Buhari was involved have the decency to apologise and seek forgiveness from God for slanderous comments against an innocent man?

Chai chai Buhari the innocent man indeed!!! This una boko harm diversion technique is just too dull!! Una for try another method.

Rijes: Daves u re one of them......
buhari is ur chief

Dumb-arss peeps everywhere, get well man!

gab264: well wat can I say,,,,,,but mind u people day this Sahara reporters are own by shekau and control by buhari answer Co

Eat well then take some paracetamol and lie down, we understand ur illness bro, get well soon!

Wat nonsense!

All this guy's condemning this aussi would have been thesame people singing his praise if he had mentioned Buhari or Atiku or a northerner belonging to APC, but because he is Igbo, no questions being asked. Thus is bigotry of the highest! Why aren't you guys condemning the fact that he mentioned sheriff? Oh yeah, he's a northerner.
I am not saying the former COAST is guilty buy at least ask questions and demand for answers from your government. This is an allegation made on international TV!




We hear moles in the military, the mole has just been made but instead they are backing him because he is igbo. Sad I tell you.

Birniwa:

Dumb-arss peeps everywhere, get well man!

Ok but you know buhari ur chief terroist

Davies is a drunk.

Sahara reporters poking nose into Nigeria affairs since 1960