Corrupt military officials benefitting from terrorism – Transparency International

Monjola Sotubo 11:38 - 19 May 2017

This screen grab image taken on December 29, 2016 from a video released on Youtube by Islamist group Boko Haram shows Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau making a statement at an undisclosed location

According to TI, the officials hid behind the crisis to create fake defence contracts through which they laundered money.

Anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI) says corrupt military officials in Nigeria have been benefitting from the

The global watchdog made the revelations via a recent report on the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Corrupt military officials have been able to benefit from the conflict through the creation of fake defence contracts, the proceeds of which are often laundered abroad in the United Kingdom (UK), United States (U.S.) and elsewhere,” the report read.

“This has crippled the Nigerian military in fighting an aggressive ideologically inspired enemy such as Boko Haram,” it added.

Allegations of corruption in the military are not new as an investigation carried out by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 revealed that about $2 billion was stolen from Nigeria under the guise of arms purchases.

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The revelations led to the arrests of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who allegedly supervised the laundering, former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh and former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu among others.