While terrorism and wanton acts of
destruction go on unabated in Nigeria,
another can of worms has been opened
regarding the identities of the real sponsors
of the deadly Boko Haram group.
Sheikh Haliru, a founding member of the
dreaded jama’aful Ahlul sunna wal
Liddawati wal Jihad also referred to as the
Boko Haram sect who has since found a
new faith made startling revelations
recently when he named some well placed
Nigerians as the financial backbone of the
sect.
Sani Haliru who was born to a Nigerien
father and a Nigerian mother grew up in
Wulari, in Borno State where his mother
hails from. Like most boys, he became an
Almajiri at the age of ten and was trained
for four years. At 14, he was sent to Kano
where he studied at Sheikh Abubakar Gumi
School of Arabic Studies. Apart from being
studying at the feet of the popular Sheikh
Gumi, Haliru prided himself as a mentee of
the late Al Quaeda leader, Osama bin
Laden.
Incidentally, as revealed by Haliru, his new
faith is in Jesus Christ who he hated and
persecuted for 44 years. Before he became
a born-again Christian, Haliru saw fire and
blood as a jihadist. Narrating his past
experience, he said “I took part in the
Kaduna riot of 1992 and in several northern
states of Nigeria, but the state I operated
more from was Borno, where I was the
State Commander/Chief Strategist.
In the early months of May 1986, I was
among the 36 Jihadist hardliners, who went
on a rampage to attack Christian students
of the University of Sokoto. In that same
week, the Federal Government of Nigeria
under the leadership of General Babangida
mobilized us and provided some military
vans and Army uniforms which our men
used and started killing innocent and
defenceless Christians all over the Northern
states. I and the son of the Emir of Kano,
who is now a Christian by name Rev. Paul
Ado Bayero, were among the Muslim
fanatics who pulled down the sculpture of
Jesus at the University of Ibadan .
The following year, March 5, 1987 to be
very precise, the “Evil Genius” General
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida secretly
armed us through one of his close aides by
the name of Captain Hassan Abubakar (now
a Pastor with a fast growing church in
Lagos). We went to go and kill some
targeted Christians including Rev. Nuhu
Kure (Throne room founder) after the
destruction we committed at the College of
Education in Kafanchan, Kaduna State And
of recent, I was the leader of the team of
soldiers of Allah that destroyed Church
buildings and properties in Bornu State”
The former jihadist claimed to have been to
eight different countries namely Sudan,
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya,
Somalia, Egypt and Niger Republic. And
when he was asked if he received any
training in those places, he disclosed that
he was trained as an Attack Strategist in
Libya and Pakistan alongside Nigerians and
non-Nigerians alike. One of the proofs of
the training as he disclosed was a mark
which he carries with him till date. The
mark is in form of a sword held in a hand.
That is regarded by those who went through
the training as the “license to kill for Allah”.
When Sani Haliru was asked about the
identities of the fellow Nigerians who were
his course mates in Libya and Pakistan, he
said “they are scattered all over the country
and we were not too many then”. He
however gave a few names, those he
mentioned included Ali Baba Nur, Asari
Dokubo, Jasper Akinbo, Mohammed Yusuf,
Salisu Maigari, Danlami Abubakar, Cletus
Okar, Ali Qaqa, Maigari Haliru and Asabe
Dantala. He spoke further that Asari Dokubo
of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force
was a year ahead of him in the Libyan
training camp in Benghazi.
But who financed the training in Libya,
Haliru was asked. From his response, it was
obvious that the person was obviously a
highly placed Nigerian as he said “you will
not believe me and only God will judge the
Chief sponsor of terrorism in Nigeria whose
name I will not mention because he is so
powerful and even the president of Nigeria,
Goodluck Jonathan, is so much afraid of the
man”.
And to prove that he harbours no fear
about unveiling his sponsor, the erstwhile
extremist dropped the bombshell. He said
“the man is no other person than the man
they call IBB. As I am talking to you now,
General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has
more than 600 men and women Jihadists on
his payroll. They are scattered all over the
Country and he can use them to destroy
Nigeria”. He disclosed that the former
military President still has his agents in the
Nigeria Army, the Police, the Air Force and
in strategic economic positions.
He alleged that Babangida’s loyalists can
still be found in top political positions, in
the National Assembly, in both the print
and electronic arms of the media and even
in Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power.”
While describing General Babangida’s
influence, the repented Boko Haram
pointman revealed that he attempted to
divulge some of the information at his
disposal to the State Security Service, he
however said it was the unimaginable that
happened. “I was arrested and detained for
two days because IBB’S men are so many in
SSS as well. After I was released by the
grace of God, they (the Police) warned me
never to blow up the polity or provoke
violence and I should keep my so-called-
born-again with me or else I will go to jail”,
Haliru said.”
He also gave indications that IBB might not
be alone in financing terror in the country
as he alleged that he has the names of six
traditional rulers and seven present and
former Governors as well as several top
military and security officers who are co-
sponsoring the Boko Haram sect. Speaking
further, he said “I have documented
evidences to prove that General
Mohammadu Buhari, Alhaji Abubaka Atiku
and other top politicians and traditional
rulers are some of the people behind Boko
Haram”.
When Haliru was asked if it meant that
General Babangida, the Muslim traditional
rulers and Governors that he accused of
sponsoring Boko Haram to kill Christians
and burn churches in the North are not
aware of the passage in the Qur’an that
says there must not be compulsion in Islam
as Mohammadu Buhari asserted in a widely
publicized interview on Saturday, the 21st
of April, 2011, Haliru’s reply went on to
reveal more. “: I have worked so closely
with Mohammadu Buahri for five years, and
I can prove it that General Buhari is the
most notable outspoken jihadist hardliner
in Nigeria who is also strategically
sponsoring Boko Haram”, he said. He said
with Buhari;s statement, it was evident that
the former Head of State was being
hypocritical. He based his submission on
Surah Al-Baqarah Chapter 2:195, it is
written here that you must use your wealth
to champion Jihad of all kinds or else
destruction is waiting for such a person on
the last day.
“And spend in the Cause of Allah (i.e. Jihad
of all kinds) and do not throw yourselves
into destruction (by not spending your
wealth in the Cause of Allah), and do good.
Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-
doers).”
Haliru also indicted Governor Isa Yuguda of
Bauchi State as an ally of the Boko Haram
sect. Narrating his experience when he was
arrested and detained years ago, Haliru
said “ soon after my immediate boss
Mohammed Yusuf was killed in 2009, about
23 of us were arrested in one of our
hideouts in Bauchi. But when Governor Isa
Yagiuda heard about it, he immediately
arranged for me to be free. Even before his
official broadcast in 2010 that he was using
his position as the executive Governor of
Bauchi State to free 28 prisoners from Bauchi Central Prison, I was already a free man along with several of my colleagues”.
