Buratai: I should not be held responsible for naming terrorist financiers

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (Retd), has said he should not be held responsible for the failure of authorities to publicly identify terrorist financiers in Nigeria, insisting that 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 relating to the country’s current security challenges.

According to him, security agencies are aware of individuals supporting terrorist activities, but the decision not to reveal their identity rests with the government.

“You can’t say I should be responsible for naming terrorist financiers,” he said. “It’s not just about mentioning the names; those agencies know why the names are not being released. Action needs to be taken; these people are still within the company today and are known.”

The former army chief stressed that while he accepts responsibility for actions that fall strictly within the military’s mandate, broader issues such as intelligence sharing and the prosecution of suspected financiers fall under other branches of government.

He also addressed the controversial issue of the rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram members, clarifying that such decisions were not made by the military but by the government.

Buratai explained that during his tenure in 2016, the army had issued a timetable for the surrender of insurgents, after which those who complied were handed over to the relevant authorities for rehabilitation.

“The initial idea we had was to give them a timeline to surrender in 2016, and if they surrendered, we would give them a free pass and hand them over to the appropriate agencies to rehabilitate them,” he said.

The retired general also expressed concern about the country’s security situation, calling for increased intelligence gathering and a stronger security architecture to curb growing threats.

He also supported 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 in some parts of the country.

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