Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said he should not be held accountable for the failure of authorities to publicly identify financiers of terrorism in Nigeria, insisting that the responsibility lies with relevant government agencies.
Buratai made the clarification on Friday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed issues surrounding the country’s ongoing security challenges.
According to him, security agencies are aware of individuals backing terrorist activities, but the decision not to disclose their identities rests with the government.
“You cannot say I should be responsible for naming the financiers of terror,” he said. “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.”
The former army chief stressed that while he accepts responsibility for actions strictly within the mandate of the military, broader issues such as intelligence sharing and prosecution of suspected financiers fall under other arms of government.
He also addressed the controversial issue of rehabilitating repentant Boko Haram members, clarifying that such decisions were not made by the military but by the government.
Buratai explained that during his tenure, the military had issued a timeline in 2016 for insurgents to surrender, after which those who complied were handed over to appropriate authorities for rehabilitation.
“The initial concept that we had was that we gave them a timeline to surrender in 2016, and if they surrendered, we gave them a free passage and handed them over to appropriate agencies to rehabilitate them,” he said.
The retired general further expressed concern over the country’s security situation, calling for enhanced intelligence gathering and a stronger security architecture to curb rising threats.
He also advocated for increased recruitment of security personnel, arguing that additional manpower would help strengthen national security and improve response to threats.
Buratai’s comments come amid renewed calls for transparency in the fight against terrorism, as well as growing public concern over persistent insecurity across parts of the country.
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