Fayose: US, Transparency International Reports confirm FG’s deceit on Boko Haram, alleges plot to “release” fresh Chibok Girls

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described the United

States “Country Report on Terrorism 2016” and the Transparency

International Report revealing corruption in the military as

confirmation of his earlier position that the federal government lied

to Nigerians that Boko Haram was technically defeated.

He said; “With over 120 Nigerians killed by the Boko Haram insurgents

in Borno State last month alone, it is necessary for the federal

government to face the reality that it has a very long walk to victory

in the fight against the insurgents.”
In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday by the governor’s

Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere

Olayinka, he also alleged a possible arranged release of some Chibok

Girls by the federal government to divert attention of Nigerians and

give the impression that it was making progress in the fight against

the insurgents.
The US Department of State’s Bureau for Counterterrorism and

Countering Violent Extremism had said in the report that the inability

of security agencies in Nigeria to share intelligence report because

of animosity is affecting the success in the fight against Boko Haram.

It went further to accuse the State Security Services (SSS) of failure

to share intelligence report with the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC), thus making it harder to investigate Boko Haram

financing.
“This report by the US government has further lent credence to earlier

revelation by the Transparency International (TI) that despite

President Muhammadu Buhari government’s anti-corruption fight,

corruption in the military is weakening Nigeria’s efforts to battle to

battle Boko Haram.
“The report is also a confirmation that the SSS has abandoned its core

responsibility of intelligence gathering and turned itself into the

instrument of political oppression, invading judges residences in the

night,” the governor said.
On how the insurgents can be defeated, Governor Fayose said; “the

first step will be for the federal government to stop lying to

Nigerians. The government must let the people know the situation on

ground so that genuine assistance can be offered.
"There should also be a periodic change in military personnel so that

officers don't become institutions to themselves.

"As revealed by the TI, fight against Boko Haram has become a cash cow

for some top military officers and corrupt politicians in the Buhari's

government, with the creation of fake defence contracts and laundering

the proceeds often laundered abroad in the UK, U.S. and elsewhere.

"The TI went further to state that the military is left without vital

equipment, insufficiently trained, low in morale andunder-resourced.

"The federal government must therefore address the widespread

corruption in the fight against Boko Haram as revealed by the TI and

also see to the welfare of the military personnel involved in the

fight," the governor said.
While reiterating the need for the government to say the truth always,

Governor Fayose said; “the government cannot keep telling the public

that Boko Haram had been decimated and the same Boko Haram was able to

kill over 120 people in just one State in one month.

"Few hours ago, the insurgents invaded a community in Madagali Local

Government in Adamawa State, killing more than 10 people and sacking

the entire community.
“The truth like I said two days ago is that the battle is not over

yet. In fact, it is raging fiercer than ever before. The gory killing

of the oil workers confirms this. The wanton destruction of lives and

property all over the place by Boko Haram also testifies to this

fact.”