Boko Haram Sustained by Local, Foreign Sponsors

Former Sector Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Maj.-Gen. Anthony Atolagbe, rtd, has alleged that Boko Haram continues to receive substantial financial and logistical support from sponsors operating both within and outside Nigeria, warning that the backing has prolonged the insurgency.

Atolagbe made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’, where he spoke on the evolving security challenges facing the country.

He said the terrorist group has survived years of military offensives because of a robust sponsorship network that provides funding, weapons, logistics and other operational support.

“There is a mega sponsorship for Boko Haram from within and outside Nigeria. If we are to now digress and go into that particular area, we should now be thinking about where they are being funded.

“And then, when you talk about people being funded, certainly we are talking about something bigger than what we can just imagine. So, they are not only in Nigeria.

“A lot of people have been identified, okay, and we now see a mega kind of sponsorship that is being carried out by these people.

“What actually is happening is that I just gave you an example of the Starlink. They might not even have been procured in Nigeria, but brought in from outside and then distributed to them so that they can use them for communication.

“So, now what we find out is that it actually goes beyond what is within the Nigerian enclave alone.

“We are talking about a counter-terror action that is being led by the UN, keyed into by AU, by ECOWAS, and all the other countries that are finding themselves under this kind of terror situation also have to key in so that everyone can work in collaboration, and then you can find a lasting solution to the problem,” he said.

According to the retired general, dismantling Boko Haram requires more than military operations, urging security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering, trace the sources of terrorist financing and work with international partners to disrupt cross-border support networks.

He further called for the identification and prosecution of individuals and organisations found to be financing terrorism, stressing that cutting off the group’s funding channels is critical to ending the insurgency and restoring lasting peace.