₦airaland Forum

Boko Haram was not a violent organization ~ Reno Omokiri

Reno Omokri's claim that Boko Haram was not a violent organization contrasts sharply with the group's well-documented history of violence, including attacks on civilians, security forces, and international targets, as evidenced by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence's reports which detail Boko Haram's use of improvised explosive devices and vehicle-borne IEDs since 2011.

Omokri's description of Muhammad Yusuf, Boko Haram's founder, as a "charismatic preacher who feared God" and was not materialistic, overlooks Yusuf's role in inciting violence against the Nigerian government and Western influences, which led to his arrest and death in 2009, marking a significant escalation in the group's activities.

This statement by Omokri can be seen as part of a broader pattern of controversial public commentary, as seen in his recent defamation lawsuit with Nnamdi Kanu, where he made allegations against IPOB, indicating a tendency to engage in provocative discourse that challenges established narratives about militant groups in Nigeria.

Boko Haram was not a violent organization ~ Reno Omokiri 😁😁

Reno Omokiri is a special human being 🤣🤣

pic.twitter.com/ka18nrLjhY

— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) September 14, 2025

Dogalmighty17:
On this, Reno did not lie. Anyone with a recollection of events as they happened in Borno state knows that just as Yerima of

Thundafireseun:
So what changed??

And at what time did they change?

More characters

pdppower:
It was actually when their leader was killed by the Nigerian army that they became enemies of the state

pdppower:
It was actually when their leader was killed by the Nigerian army that they became enemies of the state

Dogalmighty17:
On this, Reno did not lie. Anyone with a recollection of events as they happened in Borno state knows that just as for Zamfara governor Yerima introduced Sharia in Zamfara to score cheap political points, Modu Sheriff former governor of Borno state used Boko Haram in its infancy then, for political leverage. The group did not start out with killing.

The Yar'adua presidency proscribed the group and its leader Muhammad Yusuf, was arrested by Nigerian army soldiers and handed over to the Nigerian police force in cuffs. Less than 5 hours later, news spread that he had been killed. The police said he overpowered their men at the station and was exchanging fire with them. How could a man who had his hands cuffed behind him, be able to secure a weapon and open fire at officers?

It is worth noting that the police never displayed his corpse to the public. Yusuf was killed to prevent him from revealing who the sponsors of the group were.

Seeing how their leader was killed, Boko Haram followers then retreated into the forests of Sambisa and from there, they began launching attacks targeting policemen and police formations in Borno state. The police was the only thing Boko Haram was after. They sought to revenge the death of their leader.

Yar'adua's unfortunate death, saw Jonathan become president. This caused Northern politicians to become unhappy and they sponsored a boko haram spin off that was more deadly than the parent group.

It is worth noting that during the Jonathan presidency, Obasanjo travelled to Borno state to meet the founder of Boko Harams family. He met Yusuf's wife and nephew. They informed him that the original faction of Boko Haram which their late principal headed, was not behind the attacks that were already spreading to states like Yobe, Kaduna and eventually the FCT. The FCT itself had the UN building bombed and the overwhelmingly deadly nyanya park bombing that saw 93 people die. Politicians had hijacked the group.

Remember that Kabiru Sokoto and Aminu Ogwuche were later on apprehended as the primary masterminds of the Abuja bombings. Kabiru Sokoto was later said to have escaped from the police as he was being transported from detention. The truth later came out that a high ranking official working in the CBN provided the Hilux that the police used and conveniently allowed him to escape from. Though Kabiru Sokoto was later apprehended as he was trying to flee to Benin republic, no investigation was carried out on which CBN official provided the logistics for his escape.

Aminu Ogwuche, Kabiru's accomplice, would later sue the federal government for 100 million naira for unlawful detention. Till today, there is no report if these young men were successfully prosecuted. For all we know, they have been quietly let go. Their sponsors are powerful persons in the north and the government prefers to look the other way. The UAE gave the Buhari government a list of Boko Haram sponsors. Till today, the government has refused releasing those names. It has equally arrested no one on that list.

The original boko haram as we know it, doesn't exist anymore.

Dogalmighty17:
On this, Reno did not lie. Anyone with a recollection of events as they happened in Borno state knows that just as for Zamfara governor Yerima introduced Sharia in Zamfara to score cheap political points, Modu Sheriff former governor of Borno state used Boko Haram in its infancy then, for political leverage. The group did not start out with killing.

The Yar'adua presidency proscribed the group and its leader Muhammad Yusuf, was arrested by Nigerian army soldiers and handed over to the Nigerian police force in cuffs. Less than 5 hours later, news spread that he had been killed. The police said he overpowered their men at the station and was exchanging fire with them. How could a man who had his hands cuffed behind him, be able to secure a weapon and open fire at officers?

It is worth noting that the police never displayed his corpse to the public. Yusuf was killed to prevent him from revealing who the sponsors of the group were.

Seeing how their leader was killed, Boko Haram followers then retreated into the forests of Sambisa and from there, they began launching attacks targeting policemen and police formations in Borno state. The police was the only thing Boko Haram was after. They sought to revenge the death of their leader.

Yar'adua's unfortunate death, saw Jonathan become president. This caused Northern politicians to become unhappy and they sponsored a boko haram spin off that was more deadly than the parent group.

It is worth noting that during the Jonathan presidency, Obasanjo travelled to Borno state to meet the founder of Boko Harams family. He met Yusuf's wife and nephew. They informed him that the original faction of Boko Haram which their late principal headed, was not behind the attacks that were already spreading to states like Yobe, Kaduna and eventually the FCT. The FCT itself had the UN building bombed and the overwhelmingly deadly nyanya park bombing that saw 93 people die. Politicians had hijacked the group.

Remember that Kabiru Sokoto and Aminu Ogwuche were later on apprehended as the primary masterminds of the Abuja bombings. Kabiru Sokoto was later said to have escaped from the police as he was being transported from detention. The truth later came out that a high ranking official working in the CBN provided the Hilux that the police used and conveniently allowed him to escape from. Though Kabiru Sokoto was later apprehended as he was trying to flee to Benin republic, no investigation was carried out on which CBN official provided the logistics for his escape.

Aminu Ogwuche, Kabiru's accomplice, would later sue the federal government for 100 million naira for unlawful detention. Till today, there is no report if these young men were successfully prosecuted. For all we know, they have been quietly let go. Their sponsors are powerful persons in the north and the government prefers to look the other way. The UAE gave the Buhari government a list of Boko Haram sponsors. Till today, the government has refused releasing those names. It has equally arrested no one on that list.

The original boko haram as we know it, doesn't exist anymore.

pdppower:
It was actually when their leader was killed by the Nigerian army that they became enemies of the state

jchioma:
The question now is why did Yar'adua had the group proscribed and its leader Muhammad Yusuf, arrested, if they were so peaceful and did nothing that could warrant the attention of the presidency? There’s no smoke without fire.

AustineE1:
For some people or a particular political party,everything is politics,making certain sensitive statements online by state actors for them is political advancement. Guess what, they are indirectly empowering more violence.Nigeria is in a serious mess and
Boko haram that has been declared one of the most deadliest terrorist on planet earth,is beginning to get some levels of justification by our politicians. The good thing is that Trumps CIA agents and other international bodies are equally taking notes of politicians justifying these evil,thanks to internet,the good people of Nigeria,are bringing certain posts to the knowledge of the global community.

jchioma:
The question now is why did Yar'adua had the group proscribed and its leader Muhammad Yusuf, arrested, if they were so peaceful and did nothing that could warrant the attention of the presidency? There’s no smoke without fire.

Dogalmighty17:
On this, Reno did not lie. Anyone with a recollection of events as they happened in Borno state knows that just as.........

gidgiddy:
I dont usually agree with Reno, but Boko was initially not a violent organisation

It was the heavy handed, illegal killing of their members by the authorities that made the once peaceful group yo take up arms

It was this same method that the authorities used in spreading violence to the South-East

pdppower:
It was actually when their leader was killed by the Nigerian army that they became enemies of the state

chiagozien:
Simon Ekpa is agent government used in spreading violence in south East.

gidgiddy:
Simon Ekpa was only recently, when Nnamdi Kanu was kidnapped in Kenya. The authorities had already brought violence long before then by the shooting and killing of many unarmed innocent Biafran agitators

dettolgel:
There is a difference between ”the group did not start out as a violent organization" and "the group is not a violent organization". Which one is Reno actually referring to?