Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Army has raised the alarm on how some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the North East were supplying food and drugs to Boko Haram terrorists.
The army said the revelations came after the arrest of Mohammed Modu, a high profile Boko Haram commander, who is also an Amir in the Abubakar Shekau’s faction.
He was arrested by troops of 251 Task Force Battalion Operation Lafiya Dole on May 26.
It has, therefore, warned the affected NGOs to desist from such act of sabotage in the fight against terrorism or have themselves to blame.
Acting director army public relations, Colonel Saghir Musa, who gave the warning in Abuja, said the Nigerian Army would no longer tolerate acts of sabotage inimical to the fight against terrorism by any organisation or agency.
Musa, in the statement, said: “The Nigerian Army (NA), through the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, has once again received disturbing reports indicating that the war against Boko Haram terrorists is being sabotaged by some stakeholders operating in the North East.
“This unfortunate development came to the fore with the arrest of a high profile Boko Haram terrorist commander, Mohammed Modu, an Amir in the Abubakar Shekau’s faction, by troops of 251Task Force Battalion Operation Lafiya Dole on May 26. Preliminary investigations conducted so far have revealed that the Abubakar Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram has been receiving so called “humanitarian support” of food and drugs supplies from some NGOs operating in the North East Theatre.
“In the light of these disturbing disclosures, especially as it pertains to serious security breaches by NGOs providing logistics support to terrorists, the NA strongly warns the affected agencies to desist from compromising Nigeria’s national security and war efforts against terrorism and operate in accordance with the extant rules and regulations guiding the operations of humanitarian aid workers, and in line with the guidelines and procedures of International Humanitarian Laws as well as the Laws of Armed Conflict.
“The NA wishes to remind the NGOs in the North East and members of the public at large that similar concerns were raised on this same issue previously. Thus, the NA will no longer tolerate such acts of sabotage inimical to the fight against terrorism by any organisation or agency, and will not hesitate to sanction any such recalcitrant organisation.”