GOVT BEHIND BOKO HARAM -GUMI

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has accused the Nigerian government of tactically giving support to terrorist group, Boko Haram.
Besides, the firebrand controversial preacher alleged that the Nigerian Army was deliberately ill equipped so as to give the insurgent group an upper hand in the ongoing terror war in the country.
When asked to justify his positions, Gumi, who spoke with our correspondent in Kaduna, said the intention was to weaken Nigeria, divide the country and give credence to agitators of secession from the South South region.
He said, “Initially, there was a call for a Sovereign National Conference to decide the fate of Nigeria. It was being agitated for by the south and promoted by the government.
Then the government instituted a National Conference which specifically said that the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
What was the use of that conference when we have a National Assembly? Then the conference wanted to come out with a draft constitution which Justice Idris Kutigi said he was given the mandate by the president to do so.
The game plan was to give the president powers to continue in office till God knows when. “But the grand plan is for to either continue ruling the north or divide us.
The idea of trying to change the constitution at the National Conference is the political wing of the plot. Undermining the very Army that is supposed to protect Nigeria’s integrity in the fight against the insurgency is the military arm of the plot.
It a winwin situation because if you undermine the military, you are also dividing Nigeria.
They are trying to achieve this goal of dividing Nigeria by even empowering the insurgents! “A White journalist went to Maiduguri and carried out an investigation.
It is on the internet and it’s a must-see for Nigerians. Some members of Civilian JTF gave him over 100 film clips which show a systemic and planned execution of able-bodied young men by the Army. The man said that this cannot be perpetrated without the knowledge of the authorities.
“Soldiers used to come to me to narrate tales of woes about systemic genocide. Can you tell me that those Almajiri’s that were slaughtered as Boko Haram in the film clips are those who are capable of defeating Nigerian Army?
These people are untrained, uneducated and even with a machine gun, can they defeat the Army who are well trained? So, there is more to it than meets the eye.” Gumi, who also alleged that government officials are funding Boko Haram, wondered why the Nigerian satellite could not pick the convoy of the insurgent group and hideouts.
“It is not possible to have a convoy of two or three cars that can’t be picked by satellite. So, how can a convoy of 50 cars with ammunition move into a place without being spotted? Where is the Airforce?
Where is the collaboration in fighting terrorism between Nigeria and the Western powers? Insisting that the military was deliberately ill-equipped, Gumi said there was no justification for this in view of billions of naira spent so far to fight the insurgency.
Recalling the criticism that traced the alarm raised by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State that Boko Haram was better equipped than the military, he said the governor was justified because President Goodluck Jonathan later sought $1 billion loan to fight insurgency.
“If the insurgents can take a very short time to improve their ammunition stock, how come that a government that can import weapons legally, cannot equip its soldiers? It means that the government is not ready to fight the insurgency.”
Efforts to get the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications, Dr. Doyin Okupe, to respond to Gumi’s allegations were unsuccessful. He also did not respond to a text message sent to his mobile phone.
See the interview below...
A hand that is stained with blood should not lead Nigeria, says Gumi
Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi is a retired military officer, medical doctor and a doctorate degree holder in Islamic studies. The Kaduna-based cleric revealed to IBRAHEEM MUSA the real sponsors of Boko Haram; the group’s ideology as well as its proclamation of an Islamic state. (However, the interview preceded Senator Ali Modu Sheriff fingering the brains behind the group, including his defence which was exclusively published last Tuesday by New Telegraph).
Some Nigerian soldiers reportedly fled to Cameroun after a fierce battle with Boko Haram insurgents in Borno state. While Nigerians interpreted their action as cowardice, the Defence Headquarters said that it was a tactical manoeuvre. As a former military officer, explain what this tactical manoeuvre means?
Actually, it is called tactical withdrawal and is authentic military strategy. But the question is, why would armed soldiers tactically withdraw from battle when they are facing a rag-tag militia. Yes, by withdrawing they saved themselves from humiliation and it is better for them, than to stay and be annihilated. The Defence Headquarters should answer why they withdrew in the first place. The answer is common knowledge; the army is ill-equipped. And it is a grand design to defeat the army, but one will ask for what purpose? It is simply for political reasons. Sothern Sudan separated from the north because of religious divide. They are all black Africans. In the south, they have Juba Arabic and even amongst the various tribes, they speak Arabic. So, the separation was not for cultural reasons but religious. Just like Sudan, they want to divide Nigeria which is multi-religious and cultural. The only way that they can succeed is to divide it along religious lines. So, when Nigerian Army that is supposed to protect the integrity of Nigerian nation starts to succumb to religious insurgency, the section of Nigeria that wants to secede will have a strong justification and reason to do so. This is happening in Iraq. The Kurds area, which is the richest in crude oil, agitated for separation even during Saddam’s time. The West, which is thirsty for oil, is helping them. So, if the Iraqi Army is crumbling in the face of a religious fanatical group, then the Kurds now have a reason to secede. The same thing is happening in Nigeria with the expansion of Boko Haram. Soon, Maiduguri may be captured, then Kano and so on. This will give the people who have been agitating for autonomy, which are supported by thirsty western powers, the reason to secede. This fits into their game plan because when a small nation has large deposits of crude oil, it is better for them. So, they infuse the idea to such minorities that they will be richer when they secede but they don’t know that they will be enslaved and are being manipulated.
Explain your argument for secession, especially as it relates to Nigeria and Boko Haram. Is the secession plan engineered by the people from the North East who want to secede or by people outside the region?
Ok, look at it this way. Initially, there was a call for a Sovereign National Conference to decide the fate of Nigeria. It was agitated for by the south and promoted by the government. Then the government instituted a National Conference which, specifically, said that the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable. What was the use of that conference when we have a National Assembly? Then the conference wanted a draft constitution which Justice Kutigi said he was given the mandate by the president to do so. The game plan was to give the president powers to continue in office till God knows when. But the grand plan is to either continue ruling the north or divide us. The idea o f trying to change the constitution at the national conference is the political wing of the plot. Undermining the very army that is supposed to protect Nigeria’s integrity in the fight against the insurgency, is the military arm of the plot. It a win-win situation because if you undermine the military, you are also dividing Nigeria. They are trying to achieve this goal of dividing Nigeria by even empowering the insurgents! A White journalist went to Maiduguri and investigated. It is on the internet and it’s a mustsee for Nigerians. Some members of civilian JTF gave him over a 100 films clip showing a systemic and planned execution of ablebodied young men by the Army. The man said that this cannot be perpetrated without the knowledge of the authorities. Soldiers used to come to me to narrate tales of woes about systemic genocide. Can you tell me that those Almajiri’s that were slaughtered by Boko Haram in the film clips are those who are capable of defeating Nigerian Army? These people are untrained, uneducated and even with a machine gun, can they defeat the Army who are well trained? So, there is more to it than meets the eye
So, what is the purpose of equipping the Nigerian Army.
There are two phases of the war. The first was when a group of soldiers were posted to the area where a state of emergency was declared. These soldiers went and committed these atrocities which have gone viral. When it became evident and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch started writing about these atrocities, there was a change of tactics; 7 Division was created. A n d those soldiers were withdrawn. This new Division is comprised mostlyof Northern Muslim elements in the Army and they are ill-equipped. So, in short, the few officers and men that we have in the Army are now being gathered and sent to Maiduguri, illequipped and slaughtered like chickens. So, the strategy is to filter out Muslims within the Army and send them to Maiduguri and they are supporting Boko Haram from the other end. Only one authority can do this in Nigeria and it is the government which controls the two sides. But why would the government do that? The intention is to weaken Nigeria and divide the country. The president is from a section of the country that agitates for secession, so is the Chief of Army Staff. So, the dots are linked. But all these sound like presumptions… Let’s assume there are presumptions. Nothing explains why Nigerian Army is weak, given the trillions of naira that are ear marked for fighting terrorism. If the insurgents can take a very short time to improve their ammunition stock, how come that a government that can import weapons legally, cannot equipped its soldiers? It means that the government is not ready to fight the insurgency. Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state once said that the insurgents are better armed than the Army but he was shouted down, instead of the Federal Government to look at the merit or otherwise of what he said. Remember, he was on ground and had first-hand knowledge of what is happening. Now, it turned out to be true because government is looking for a loan to buy arms. Former Governor of Adamawa state, Admiral Murtala Nyako also spoke about the genocide that is being perpetrated by the government and he was indirectly indicting the President. He was not only shouted down but also impeached and now Nyako is on the run. And now, international Human Rights groups and a documentary that was compiled by a foreign journalist have proved him right. They proved that there was indeed a genocide which was perpetrated by the military and highranking people should know about it because it is too widespread for them not to know. This requires the international criminal court to prosecute.
Seriously, are the insurgents being armed by the Nigerian state or from outside the country?
No, they are funded by people in authority in Nigeria. Because it is the government that oversees the air space. It is not possible to have a convoy of two or three cars that can’t be picked by satellite. So, how can a convoy of 50 cars with ammunition move into a place without being spotted? Where is the Airforce? Where is the collaboration in fighting terrorism between Nigeria and the Western powers? Look, you cannot go into the internet and post even a letter without being traced to the location where the word was posted. But Youtube is full of Boko Haram video clips and nobody is tracing them. In a nutshell, the forces that want to divide Nigeria are behind Boko Haram. Once they make the world to believe that fanatical Islamic militants have taken over the north, so the south will have no option than to opt out. They had to resort to this because all the political manoeuvres did not work. The National Conference was a political manoeuvre. How can Kutigi say that he was mandated by the president to draft a constitution behind Nigerians!? So, the government is playing games with Nigerians and that explains why the Army is ill-equipped.
If you allege that the government is playing games with Nigeria with the aim of balkanising the country, are Northern Muslims not part of this game plan?I am saying this because the Minister of Defence is a Muslim, as well as the National Security Adviser and the Inspector General of Police?
A very good question. The question is that at which point of the disease, let’s use a medical term now, did they come in? When did the new NSA appear on the scene? When did the new Minister of Defence come on board? They were brought in to cover up for those who initiated and funded the problem. Before Col Sambo Dasuki, who was the NSA? Azazi. He was given trillions of naira to fight insurgency without result. After messing up, he was removed and Sambo was brought in. I once questioned the rationale behind having both the NSA and president from the same zone. So, after what Azazi did, Sambo is just doing crisis control and management. General Aliyu Gusau is also doing the same. Secondly, the office of NSA and Minister of Defence are all advisory offices; they are not in the chain of command. The Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander in Chief are the ones that give the firing order. For every man that is killed, these are the people that will be held accountable and not the Minister of Defence or NSA. You can even recall that the service chiefs refused to see General Gusau when he assumed duty as Minister of Defence. They denied they were under him. You also said that the IG is a Muslim. What was done to the police is to effectively paralyse it completely. The military has now taken over police functions! Even in Kaduna, where we are not in a state of emergency, soldiers police the community. So, what can an IG, whose powers have been taken, do? There is an attempt to kill prominent northerners; Emir of Gwoza was killed, Shehu of Borno was attacked, the late Emir of Kano was attacked, I was attacked and lately Dahiru Bauchi and General Buhari were attacked on the same day.
Most Nigerians don’t know what Boko Haram wants. It says it wants to enthrone an Islamic state and yet it kills muslims and christians alike. Can you explain?
Boko Haram is fighting, primarily, the Nigerian government. Secondly, it is fighting those who support the government. And thirdly, those who agree in the principle of the corporate existence of Nigeria. Buhari is in the opposition but he believes in both the corporate existence of Nigeria and democracy but he is not supporting the government. But he is still an enemy to Boko Haram Someone like Dahiru Bauchi can be said to be supporting the government because they dine with the president and prays for them. So, he can be described as a secondary enemy of Boko Haram. If they had attacked the convoy of the governor, or GOC or the Police Commissioner, they would have attacked primary targets; those who are fighting them. But they attacked Buhari that is even opposing the government that is killing them! Is this sensible? They also attacked another harmless fellow who just supports the government for peace. If it was Boko Haram that carried out the Kaduna attack, they would have rather attacked the governor, GOC or Police Commissioner because the anger is more on the military and security forces than these two people. If only Buhari was attacked, it would have been clear that it was the government but by also attacking someone who is supporting the government and who prays for peace, the finger of Boko Haram will be on Are you absolving Boko Haram of that attack? No, I’m not exonerating Boko Haram. What I’m saying is that Boko Haram has been appropriated by a very strong authority in Nigeria. All kinds of things are ascribed to Boko Haram but who is Boko Haram? Like I told you, there are Christians in Boko Haram, there are Chadian mercenaries and all sorts of people in Boko Haram. It’s just a group that is meant to destabilise us. Its just two faces of the same thing. The only victims are ordinary Nigerians, be they in the military, who are going about their lives. But the responsibility of protecting lives and property rests on the government and if there is any short fall, the government is directly responsible.
So, how can these killings be stopped?
Genocide has been committed by the military in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. And the president who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces bears responsibility for this crime against humanity. The president should not be eligible for election in the 2015 election until his name is cleared by an independent court of law. There ought to be an international investigation into the crime. So, the PDP s h o u l d f i e l d some – o n e e l s e from wherever. It is not possible for the hand that is stained with blood to continue leading Nigeria and for us to have peace. We call on all of them to cooperate because everyone is tired of these killings.
This suggestion is in line with the allegation in some quarters, that the Boko Haram is being sponsored by the opposition so as to make Nigerian ungovernable for the president because power has slipped from the hands of northerners. How do you reconcile your suggestion with this allegation?
Any politician who has been established to have links with to any crime is automatically disqualified to run for any post. Boko Haram has been planting bombs and killing people but can you link those crimes to any politician in the north?(NB: this interview was conducted before Senator Ali Modu Sherrif was accused as the brain behind Boko Haram) But the Nigerian Military has committed crimes against humanity and the president is Commander in Chief. That disqualifies him from standing for election. But Nigerians have an option to file a suit stopping the president from contesting even if he decides to run, until he is cleared by an international inquiry.
Let’s go back to your argument that Boko Haram was sponsored in the north so that the rest of the country can secede. But you will agree with me that the group’s activities started during the time of President Umaru Yar ádua…
Very good question. But is the Boko Haram during Yarádua the same as the Boko Haram now? During Yarádua, Dambazzau was Chief of Army Staff and no atrocity of killing innocent people was recorded. The atrocity started with Ihejirika. This is different from the massacre that we are having now. Some residents of these states under emergency confessed that whenever a bomb explodes and soldiers will come and evacuate the corpses. The people even suspected that it was soldiers that used to plant the bombs. General Mamman Shuwa had soldiers guarding him and people went into his house and killed him. Up till now, there has not been any investigation. In my own case, I was going for the Tafsir during the Ramadan fasting and two men on motor bikes who were carrying a bomb, exploded. Their corpses were taken by the Military. What happened to the corpses? What is the outcome of the investigation?
Boko Haram has hoisted their flags in Gwoza, Dikwa and other towns in Borno state, declaring them as Caliphates that are independent of the state or federal governments. In Islam, how is a Caliphate proclaimed?
In Islam, Muslims have to come together and choose a leader. It is specifically said in the Qurán that if any person extends his hand to another person and says that that person is the Khalifa or leader, the two of them should be killed. It has to be the consensus of the Muslims. So, before you create a Caliphate Muslims have to come together and appoint a leader. A leader of a sect can’t just proclaim a Caliphate and call himself Khalifa. The Qurán is specific when it said that those who divide themselves and their religion and become sects, the Prophet has nothing to do with them; because they will start fighting each other. Again, the Prophet had already said that the life span of Caliphate that he had established will be 12 years. After that, the leadership will turn into a monarchy, a tyranny, then it will turn into a dictatorship. The last Caliph which all Muslims were under was Yazid bn Al Walid bn Abdul Malik. He was the 12th Imam whom all Muslims were under. After him, everybody went their separate ways. So, there is no way you can have an Imam under a Caliphate until all Muslims come together and select him. In other words, Shekau’s Caliphate is an illegal Caliphate; it has no justification. They have been killing people and imposing their will all in the name of Islam. When you disagree with them they kill you. But companions of the Prophet used to disagree with each other on issues but with them can you even suggest something?
So, what is a Muslim leader referred to in a theocracy?
There is no theocracy in Islam; leadership in Islam is civic. Everything is done by consensus. A leader does not wait for revelation or vision. God has given us the principles of governance and they include, freedom of speech; freedom of religion; a leader should be fair and just. All these are in the Qurán. A Khalifa was once preaching to the people to obey constituted authority, then one of the companions stood up and said that ‘’we will not listen to you.’’ He continued by saying that ‘’why are you wearing a long robe when the cloth that was divided to everyone was a short one that is not enough for this long garment? It means that you have taken double.’’ Caliph Umar asked his son Abdallah who was present, to explain why. Abdallah said that when he discovered that the cloth that was shared was not enough to cover his father because he was tall, he gave him his own. Then Caliph Umar sewed the two together and that explains why his robe was long. Satisfied with the explanation, the man who questioned the Caliph’s authority said, ‘’now I will listen to you.’’ In Islam, its not government that will be dictating to the people.