The United States is ready to assist Nigeria in identifying state actors and other individuals sponsoring terrorism in the country.
This was disclosed by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard on Monday, August 30, 2021.
Leonard made this disclosure during a meeting with journalists in Abuja. Her revelation came after a question was posed to her on the issue. Subsequently, the envoy had given a short response in which she expressed the willingness of the American government to assist the current administration in exposing terrorism financiers and other sponsors.
“That is something we are very eager to partner Nigeria on. I have had at least three conversations in the last two months on this subject. I won’t like to go into details,’’ the envoy had said.
Equally important, 4wardwego blog reports that the envoy’s comments come against the backdrop of a recent revelation b y a former Commodore of the Nigerian Navy, Kunle Olawunmi. Specifically, Olawunmi had declared that sponsors of terrorist groups are currently holding positions in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Olawunmi said this last Wednesday when he featured on a Channels Television breakfast show Sunrise Daily.
His revelation came after the attack on the Nigeria Defence Academy in Afaka, Kaduna State.
The former military commodore said terrorists arrested in the past years had mentioned their names as their sponsors.
“Boys (terrorists) that we arrested mentioned names of people that are in the government now. Some of them are governors, some of them are in the Nigerian Senate…Some of them are ministers. The Department of State Service (DSS) know them.
“…I have interrogated a high-ranking member of this government on the issue of Boko Haram in 2007/2008 and he was found culpable,” he said.
