Naj’atu Muhammad: Terrorism has become a multi-billion dollar industry — Jonathan spent N2bn daily on security

Naj’atu Muhammad, a former senatorial candidate, says the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan spent a total of N2 billion daily on security.

Muhammad, who was the first female senator from Kano, said despite the expenses, the insurgents continued their attacks unabated.

She said this on Saturday at the 2nd annual Chibok girls lecture organised by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, held in Abuja.

Muhammad blamed the “irresponsibility of the political and military elite” in Nigeria as the root cause for the continued Boko Haram insurgency.

She alleged that one of the “root causes” of Boko Haram is Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno state.

“We all know what started Boko Haram. It was started in Borno by the then governor, Ali Sherrif. He armed them as his political thugs,” she said.

“He even made one of them a commissioner but they become too powerful. The military came in and turned the north-east into cash cow; military jumbo budgets unaccounted for. I remember Jonathan was spending N2 billion every day on security but there was no security.”

She said the army “more than anything else has contributed to this terrorism.”

According to her, “terrorism has become a multi-billion dollar industry.”

“I have been part of a committee that investigated the atrocities of Boko Haram and the committee more than anything has indicted the military,” she said.

“There is no house in Borno that the military has not either killed or raped anyone in it.

The former senator also said Nigeria currently “has no government” because “the primary responsibility of any government is to secure the territorial integrity of the country and the lives of the citizens — something the government has failed to do.”

“As for our military, we are demanding a thorough overhaul of it. Anything short of this is to say our government are beneficiaries of the failure,” she added.

Muhammad had rejected her appointment as chairperson of the Federal University, Dutse by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I, Najatu Muhammad, wish to thank you so much for considering me worthy of being appointed the chairperson of Dutse Federal University. It’s however, unfortunate that I was not consulted before the announcement in the media. I also regret that I have to use the same medium to announce that I can’t accept the appointment for some personal reasons,” she had said in a newspaper advert.