"Government has skeletons in its cupboard that is why they keep violating the rights.."

The Buhari-led government had on several occasions, announced the discovery of those allegedly financing terrorism and causing havoc in many parts of the country, particularly the Northeast.

Four months later, the names of the alleged sponsors are yet to be made known to the general public despite calls by Nigerians, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the alleged financiers.

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has been accused of deliberately refusing to uncover names of Nigerians that are allegedly sponsoring Boko Haram, Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other terrorist groups in the country.

President Buhari had on October 1, 2021, alleged that an unidentified member of the National Assembly and other individuals were sponsoring terrorism, even the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB was fingered in the accusations.

On Thursday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, during a press briefing in Abuja, said about 123 companies and 96 financiers of terrorism, particularly those backing Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP have been uncovered.

Reacting, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubuko in an interview on Friday, accused the Buhari administration of deliberately withholding the names of the alleged sponsors.

HURIWA alleged that the Federal Government is not serious about ending the insecurity across the country, insisting that the government has the data of Nigerians and should be able to fish out the alleged financers. 

He said, “The secrecy surrounding the unveiling of the identities of the terrorism sponsors is a pointer to the fact that some persons in government are into something that they don’t want Nigerians to know. Nigerians have the right to know those who have made life very unfortunate for them for more than a decade. 

“The government has skeletons in its cupboard and that is why they keep violating the rights of Nigerians to know the sponsors of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. This is why they are after radio stations and other media platforms, trying to silence the voice of Nigerians. 

“The attorney general of the federation once told Nigerians that they have compiled over 400 names of some terrorists and have charged them to court, where is that case and what is the status of that matter?”, Onwubiko asked.

Recall that a former Police Commissioner, Emmanuel Ojukwu, had asked the federal government to stop making mere media announcements of the existence of sponsors of terrorism but have them arrested and prosecuted.

While featuring on Channels Television on Thursday, the ex-police boss said, “To finance terrorism is a criminal offence, the laws are there, activate the legal process and get them arrested”.

According to him, the FG should stop disturbing Nigerians with the news of discovery but should come up with the identities of the alleged sponsors.