Politicians funding Boko Haram, says negotiator who worked with two Nigerian presidents
A Perth-based international adviser, Stephen Davis, who has worked with two Nigerian presidents as an adviser, says one of the major sources of funding for Boko Harm Islamist rebels – aside from raiding banks – was Nigerian politicians, reports Radio Australia.
Davis, 63, says he had survived months of extreme danger trying to rescue more than 270 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram.
When news broke in April about the Chibok girls’ kidnapping from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, Davis, who had recently moved to Perth from London, decided he could not sit on his hands.
During the journey his life was threatened more than once, but his Australian passport saved him.
“When confronted by groups with an AK-47 in my face they’d say, ‘you are American, we have to kill you’,” Davis said.
“When you say, no I’m not American, they think you are British, and say you will still die, but when I said I’m Australian, they said that’s all right.
“I have no idea why but it’s certainly been helpful.”
“I made a few phone calls to the Boko Haram commanders and they confirmed they were in possession of the girls,” he said.
“They told me they’d be prepared to release some as a goodwill gesture towards a peace deal with the government, so I went to Nigeria on the basis of being able to secure their release.”
Arriving in Nigeria, Davis quickly set up talks with commanders and he believed he had brokered a deal.
Fearing being arrested, the Boko Haram commanders – holding the girls across the border in Cameroon – had a list of conditions.
They wanted the military stood down and promised to drop the girls in a village before phoning to give their exact location.
Davis said they lived up to their promise, but the rescue was sabotaged. Details later…