BORNO State Governor Babagana Zulum has called on the Federal Government to leverage on the conviction of six Boko Haram sponsors in the United Arab Emirate(UAE) by swooping on other suspected financiers of the terror group.
He suggested the setting up of a multi-stakeholder team to work with the UAE authorities in unmasking more sponsors of the group, which has in the past 11 years killed thousands of Nigerians, displaced millions and destroyed properties in the Northeast, especially in Borno State.
Zulum’s call and advice are contained in a statement yesterday by his spokesman Isa Gusau.
The governor expressed happiness with the UAE, saying it was a major headway in the fight against terrorism in the state and the entire Northeast.
There had been reports on Monday of how the six convicted Nigerians wired almost $782,000 in 17 tranches to Boko Haram, using Bureau de change outlets in Nigeria between 2015 and 2016.
The governor said: “I urge the Federal Government to consider setting up a multi-stakeholder team with trusted representatives from the Federal Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs; the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad, and the ECOWAS Intergovernmental Action Group on Terrorism Financing in West Africa to assiduously work with the UAE government to look into the issues raised by families crying foul play, and more importantly, to follow-up on the findings by the UAE with the hope of using the intelligence, if authenticated, to expand search on other Boko Haram sponsors that may be helping in similar ways.”
Zulum also called on Borno people not to relent in their prayers for the wrath of God against the sponsors of terror groups.
He had in February and October this year declared two days of fasting and prayers against Boko Haram and their sponsors.