Former Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has stated that the financiers of terrorism in Nigeria are known to relevant government agencies but that he cannot be held responsible for the failure to publicly disclose their identities. Buratai made the remarks on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television, adding that those agencies understand why the names have not been released. His comments come against the backdrop of a related and deeply troubling development in which a serving Brigadier General has been detained for months over alleged links to a retired officer who publicly accused Buratai of involvement in the release of terrorism financing suspects.
Buratai was direct in distancing himself from accountability on the matter, stating that while action should be taken against known financiers, the responsibility for naming them does not fall on his shoulders. He acknowledged that the individuals in question remain within Nigerian society and are identifiable, but he drew a firm line around what he considers the Nigerian Army’s area of responsibility versus what belongs to other government agencies. He also addressed the controversial rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram members, clarifying that the programme was a government decision, not one initiated by the army. According to him, the military gave insurgents a timeline to surrender in 2016, after which those who complied were handed over to the appropriate agencies.
Buratai did not shy away from commenting on the current state of security in the country, lamenting the worsening situation and calling for improved intelligence gathering and the recruitment of additional security personnel.
“You cannot say I should be responsible for naming the financiers of terror. It’s not just about mentioning names; those agencies know why the names are not released. Action should be taken; these individuals are still within society today, and they are known,” Buratai said.
His remarks carry a particular weight given what Sahara Reporters has separately uncovered. The outlet reported that Brigadier General Gabriel Archibong, who serves as Chief of Staff at the Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, has been detained by military authorities since the first week of January 2026. His arrest is reportedly connected to his communications with retired Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi, who headed a covert Presidential Task Force called Operation Service Wide. Ali-Keffi has publicly alleged that all terrorism financing suspects arrested under the task force were released while he was detained, and he has directly named Buratai in connection with those events. Ali-Keffi has since filed a lawsuit seeking two hundred billion naira in damages, alleging unlawful arrest, torture, denial of fair hearing, and a forced dishonourable retirement. Sources allege that Buratai is behind Archibong’s continued detention.
For Nigerians who have lived with the consequences of terrorism for over a decade, Buratai’s admission that financiers are known yet unpunished is not reassuring. It confirms what many have long suspected, that the failure to dismantle terror networks is not a failure of intelligence but a failure of will. The detention of officers who attempted to hold those financiers accountable only deepens the suspicion that powerful interests are actively working to keep the truth buried….See More
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