Boko Haram: We have no problem with Goodluck Jonathan

CONTRARY to impressions that its activities were targeted at President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration, dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has claimed that it had nothing against the President.

According to information obtained by an online publication, 247ureports.com, through a high ranking contact in the terrorist organization, the group said it would have killed former President Olusegun Obasanjo last September when he visited the in-law of the slain leader of Boko Haram, Babakura Fuggu, in Borno State but the leaders changed their mind because “Obasanjo was good to us.”

The information also revealed unnerving revelations regarding the recent attacks on Kano and Bauchi State and why they killed Fuggu.

It was gathered that the leader of Boko Haram, Imam Abubakar Shekau, who is currently hiding away in Qoundere, Cameroun following the recent and ongoing attacks on Kano and Bauchi State – had deliberated seriously on the assassination of Obasanjo on September 15, 2011 while on a visit to Borno State to the home of the in-law to the slain leader of Boko Haram, Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf.

The Boko Haram source said that Obasanjo had made first contact with Yusuf’s in-law, Babakura Fuggu (eldest son of Yusuf’s in-law) in early September 2011 concerning opening a channel of dialogue with the terrorist group. The leadership of the group took it uneasy with the choice of Babakura – since the line of leadership did not automatically follow family lineage as in traditional settings.

Rightful successor

As a ‘religious’ group they did not see Babakura as the rightful person to take over from Yusuf., a reason, the leadership of the group ‘silently’ objected to the meeting between Babakura and Obasanjo.

As Obasanjo concluded his secret meeting the previous day at the Green House with three other religious group (Jamatu Nasir Islam, JNI and CAN) in Jos, the capital of Plateau State on Wednesday, September 14, 2011, and took off the following day to Borno State, Boko Haram, according to the source, marked the former President within their ‘firing range’ from the moment he landed in Borno State at minutes after 11am till he departed the State in the late afternoon of the same day.

Ijaw people ‘re deceiving  Jonathan

“He was going to be a big catch” said the source, who explained that the leadership halted the operation as Obasanjo went inside the residence of Babakura. “Obasanjo was good to us. We had no problem with Obasanjo. We had him. We could have taken him out,” as he recalled that the Sharia movement took off during the period when Obasanjo was president. “The problem started during the late President Yar’Adua regime. Goodluck only inherited the problem. We have no problem with Goodluck. But his Ijaw people around him are deceiving him.”

Why we killed Fuggu

Interestingly, the Boko Haram source, who spoke in fluent English with a slight American accent explained the decision to ‘finish’ Babakura Fuggu came due to what transpired between Obasanjo and Babakura. “We learnt he asked for money”. Babakura requested on behalf of Boko Haram monies to enable the group defray litigation costs and other minor financial requests which the leadership of Boko Haram considered menial and demeaning.

The wife, Yakolo, was said to have received money from the former president to the tune of N500,000. Babakura Fuggu was gunned down on September 17, 2012 as he exited his home with his younger brother in the company of other young men dressed in reddish-orange babarigas each armed with AK47s – just barely 48 hours following the visit of former President Obasanjo.

Our pact with northern governors

The reason for Kano and Bauchi states attacks a few days ago were hinged on failed promises by the State governors of the two states. The entire northern governors, according to the Boko Haram source, have ongoing relationships with the group. “Most of them pay us monthly to leave their states alone.”

In Kano State, a former state governor,  reached an agreement with the terrorist group in late  2004 for an initial monthly disbursement of N5million, which was later bumped up to N10million in 2009. The agreement, according to the source, included provision of institutional infrastructural support through the Hisbah (Islam police) project which received yearly budgetary allocation of N1.01billion. The gubernatorial election of April 2011 which introduced Rabiu Kwankwaso as the new governor changed the agreement.

The Kwankwaso administration was quick to dismantle the Hisbah set up – and the said agreement to disburse N10million monthly. The governor proceeded to make arrests of known Boko Haram members. Boko Haram leadership who had found comfort in Kano did not appreciate the Kwankwaso administration’s policy on Boko Haram. According to the source, “we warned the Governor of the consequences.

“We concluded on Kano in December 2011.” The abrupt end to the oil subsidy strike and protests served an opportunity for the group to strike. The preparatory work for the attack and the selection of targets had already been completed.

According to the source, an estimated number of casualties was calculated to net 300 minimum. “The go ahead order” was given on Wednesday (January 18, 2012) evening before the leader of the group left the country for Cameroon on the early morning of Thursday, the following day.

In Bauchi State, a similar agreement was allegedly reached with the leadership of the group. A monthly disbursement of N10million was agreed upon along with provision of training grounds on the many mountains scattered in Bauchi State. There was also alleged promise of security against arrests by the Federal Government.  The agreement was reached in June 2008 but mid 2011, the governor stopped the disbursement of the N10 million regularly. Boko Haram were not happy but remained loyal to the agreement because of the unfettered access to the mountains of Bauchi as training camps.

However, the arrest and detention of their number three man by the State Security Services (SSS) fractured the relationship between the governor and the terrorist group. The source said the State was attacked to free the number three leader of Boko Haram and to “teach them a lesson.” The detained leader schooled at the prestigious Lincoln University located in the State of Connecticut, USA and owns a block industry in Bauchi State near the home of the former governor of Bauchi State – an area densely populated by Boko Haram operatives.

According to the source, “the northern governors are overwhelmed.” They are aware of capabilities of the Boko Haram operatives in their respective states. Some of the State government officials visit the terrorist groups in their training camps to watch the training exercises. “We train harder than the Nigerian military and they see it” said the source while ‘lamenting’ that the governor continues to tell the President that the menace of Boko Haram is under control.

The Boko Haram source made it emphatic that “we (they) have the weapons and are in control. We are not asking for Islamic Nigeria. We want our men free”.

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