Boko Haram Financiers Known but Not Publicly Named, Says Buratai

Boko Haram Financiers Known but Not Publicly Named, Says Buratai

Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said he should not be held responsible for the failure of authorities to publicly release the identities of individuals allegedly financing terrorism in Nigeria, insisting that the financiers are known but remain within society.

Buratai made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he emphasized that relevant security and intelligence agencies already have information on those behind terrorism financing, but may have operational reasons for not disclosing their identities publicly.

“You cannot say I should be responsible for naming the financiers of terror… those agencies know why the names are not released,” he said, adding that action, rather than disclosure alone, is what matters in addressing the threat.

He stressed that individuals allegedly involved in funding insurgent groups such as Boko Haram are still within the country and are known to authorities, urging that decisive steps be taken to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt their networks.

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Buratai also clarified that the policy of rehabilitating repentant Boko Haram members was a government initiative, not solely a military decision. According to him, the military had earlier set a surrender deadline in 2016, offering safe passage to those who laid down arms before handing them over to appropriate agencies for rehabilitation.

“The initial concept was that we gave them a timeline to surrender in 2016… and if they surrendered, we gave them free passage and handed them over to appropriate agencies,” he explained.

The former army chief, who also previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of Benin, expressed concern over the country’s ongoing security challenges, calling for stronger intelligence gathering and improved coordination among security agencies to combat terrorism and related threats.

He further advocated for increased recruitment into the nation’s security forces to enhance capacity and improve safety across affected regions.

Buratai’s comments come against the backdrop of long-standing public calls for the disclosure of alleged terrorism financiers, especially after government officials previously indicated that individuals and entities supporting insurgency had been identified.

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit has in the past reported tracking suspicious financial flows linked to terrorism, while security agencies have continued investigations into funding networks believed to sustain insurgent operations.

In 2021, federal authorities stated that some sponsors of terrorism had been identified, raising expectations that their names would be made public and prosecuted. However, the identities of such individuals have largely remained undisclosed, fueling criticism from civil society groups, legal experts, and security analysts who argue that transparency is essential to dismantling financing networks and ensuring accountability.

Nigeria has battled Boko Haram and its splinter factions for over a decade, particularly in the North-East, where the insurgency has led to thousands of deaths, widespread displacement, and humanitarian crises. Despite ongoing military operations, attacks have persisted in some areas, underscoring the complexity of addressing both the operational and financial dimensions of terrorism.

Buratai’s remarks add to ongoing national conversations about the need for a more comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that combines military action, intelligence sharing, financial tracking, and judicial enforcement to effectively curb insurgency and its enabling networks.

Boko Haram Financiers Known but Not Publicly Named, Says Buratai