Ex-Army Chief Claims Boko Haram Has Mega Sponsors Inside and Outside Nigeria
Former Sector Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Maj-Gen Anthony Atolagbe (rtd), told Arise Television's Prime Time on Wednesday that Boko Haram receives mega-sponsorship both from inside Nigeria and from abroad. He suggested the satellite internet terminals ("Starlink") used by the militants for communication may have been procured outside the country and then distributed to the group. Atolagbe stressed that terrorism and banditry now extend beyond Nigeria's borders, arguing that a lasting solution requires coordinated action by the UN, the African Union, ECOWAS and other nations facing similar threats.
For Nigerians, this means that internal military efforts alone may not curb the insurgency if external funding and logistics continue to flow in. It also signals that security challenges could spill over into neighbouring states, affecting trade, travel and humanitarian conditions in the Lake Chad region.
What should you know or do? Stay alert to reports of illicit communications equipment entering the country, support calls for stronger cross-border intelligence sharing, and consider how regional security initiatives might affect your community's safety and economic activity.