Nigerian military: Some officers selling arms to Boko Haram
BY MICHELLE FAUL
SEP. 4, 2016 8:50 AM EDT

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's military says some officers are selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram, indicating the corruption bedeviling the country's fight against the Islamic extremists continues despite government efforts to halt graft.

The admission comes three weeks after the Nigerian army said a military tribunal is trying 16 officers and troops accused of offenses related to the fight against Boko Haram, including the theft and sale of ammunition.

Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, the theater commander in northeastern Nigeria, told a news conference on Thursday that military authorities have confirmed that some soldiers were selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram. He called it a betrayal of the Nigerian people. He gave no more details.

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed corruption for the deaths of thousands in the seven-year Islamic uprising that has killed more than 20,000. Children who escaped Boko Haram are dying of starvation in refugee camps in the northeast, where the government is investigating the alleged theft of food aid.

A soldier on the frontline of the fight told The Associated Press that his brigade commander is among officers standing trial at the court-martial in this northeastern city, which is being held in secret. He said the army is investigating what happened to 21 anti-aircraft guns assigned this year to his artillery brigade. He said they only received one gun. The soldier spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared he would lose his job.

In addition, a slew of retired and current military officers are being investigated for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars budgeted to help curb the Islamic uprising. Among them is Alex Badeh, a four-star general whom Buhari fired from his post as chief of defense staff. Witnesses have told a Federal High Court that Badeh stole the equivalent of $24 million budgeted for salaries in 2013 and built a shopping mall in Abuja, the capital.

Civil society groups are demanding the investigation of the current chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, for allegedly buying with cash two properties worth $1.5 million in Dubai. Buratai has said he bought the property on installment with savings.

Before Buhari took power, soldiers told the AP they were forced into battle with just 30 bullets each and no food rations. They said Boko Haram was better armed and that their officers were stealing parts of their salaries and allowances. Many ran away when the extremists attacked, allowing Boko Haram to take control of a large swath of northeastern Nigeria in 2014.

Under Buhari, a former military dictator, a multinational force has retaken most towns but Boko Haram remains active outside urban areas, carrying out hit-and-run attacks, suicide bombings and abductions of women and girls.

___

Associated Press writer Ibrahim Abdulaziz contributed to this report from Yola, Nigeria.

This is sad



http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nigerian-military-officers-selling-arms-boko-haram-111803020.html

Endemic corruption everywhere. If this is the only thing Buhari is able to tackle then he has solved half of our problem in this country. No matter how good the policies of govt are, corruption destroys everything

ttttttttt

So this is also happening under the almighty sheriff. Let's see what el rufai would tweet about this, as it is happening under the watchful eye of his god.

One by one, what they apc used as campaign to desperately get to power, has now reared its head under them.

'Buharinian Army' in the bespectacled Kaduna midget's voice...

For perpetual zombies believing Mr Daftus has any plan or idea of addressing this...smelling pant is wearing u seriously with body language on fleek..

some of our military personnel are corrupt and they should be punished for this barbaric act....

Is the body language no longer working?

Boko haram had their members recruited and trained by Nigeria Army.

Shekau said it openly.

This is part of the conspiracy and not corruption.

Ask the northern hooliganchys

Pidggin:
Is the body language no longer working?

No longer kwa? E work before?

While the veracity of this article might be taken with some iota of doubts,Nigerians should be quick to keep an eye into monitoring the situation. It'll be rare to be a lie,has the Niger Delta Avengers not made a similar statement? Of soldiers engaging in bunkering and related crimes, perhaps bloody civilians has no say with running the country now. Very bad that the Nigerian populace does not know what corruption entails, the wailing wailers though guilty of it may know but the lying liars, see and know looting as the sole corrupt act. Ruling with a NEPA certificate instead of SSCE certificate is not it,soldiers going on mutiny and selling country's property is never it. The mirage blind men see!

blackpanda:
Endemic corruption everywhere. If this is the only thing Buhari is able to tackle then he has solved half of our problem in this country. No matter how good the policies of govt are, corruption destroys everything

a structure that should ensure our armies are not divided along ethnic and tribal lines and also one that takes good care of them irrespective of their ranks...

Pidggin:
Is the body language no longer working?

the problem of corruption is one that would be highly difficult for buhari to fight..he was brought to power on a completely corrupt platform by completely corrupt people..so thinking buhari would sincerely fight corruption is an illusion...

That was in the days of the unrepentant yam eaters. Posterity will judge them, concerning all the soldiers that were kill.

...But how come some people seem surprised about this? Aren't we ALL supposed to be aware that Boko Haram is the Zoo Army trained Sunni Islam terrorist group? Most of us that 'want out of the Zoo' knew this from the outset.

Is that suppose to be news?

Corruption will eventually be killed. .. the good thing is that the perpetuators were caught something impossible under the previous administration.

Heard lots of them do decamp too.boko offers better deal..
Buhari is trying to sanitise the military hierarchy,the reek of corruption.lots of issues going down.

if this is true. it's a serious allegations


one must give Buhari credit on his gains so far concerning boko haram

I hope those snitches are dealt with thoroughly

I wan vex go join army,I must sanitize it.

In this Zoo Garden, everything is possible. Haba !

No need telling me this
I already know this from day one
before I forget
Happy New week to who it may concern

Who will sanitize our army!

modelmike7:
That was in the days of the unrepentant yam eaters. Posterity will judge them, concerning all the soldiers that were kill.

Same old old trash

And the sabotaging continues.

.

mare23ayo:
some of our military personnel are corrupt and they should be punished for this barbaric act....

I don't believe it . Then, why wasting time in the Sambisa Forest. Wasting precious gallant soldiers lives, wasting resources.

This Army is really funny. You got information as important as that and you went ahead to disclose it. Must Nigeria Army disclose such information if they know they really want to win the war against Boko Haram? Oh! i see, they are telling those behind the dealings that some good military officers are aware and maybe they should change tactics.
Frankly, Why not set up agents that would catch the culprits red-handed and win the war once and for all.

Atleast we don't hear of how boko haram is controlling some local govt or how boko haram are killing people on daily basis. Do no allow hatred to kill u 1day. Try to appreciate good things and do away with bitterness in ur life.