Fresh facts have emerged on how some International Non-Governmental Organizations are fueling the fight against terrorism in North-East Nigeria.
It was revealed amongst other things that these INGOs have perfected the plan to escalate the ongoing crisis to ensure that they continue to attract funding from donor agencies.
According to impeccable sources, some of the INGOs go as far as organizing movies like documentaries in IDP camps and other areas that have been affected by the insurgency and sell these clips to the international media in an attempt to paint a gory picture and attract funding and justification for their continued stay in the country.
The source who pleaded anonymity stated that “some INGOs would gather displaced women and children and throw in the air items like biscuits, sweets, and other edibles and while the women and children scramble for these items, they record them and transform it into a documentary that is transmitted to the foreign media.
“Most times, we are baffled with what these INGOs stand to benefit from conducting such activities. For some of us that have access to the international media, when we see such videos, we shake our heads in absolute disbelief and wondered why such is the order of the day.”
“There was a particular case that was indeed despicable. It was so bad that the Military had to intervene. An INGO from one of the European countries staged a scene where some young girls and women were videoed and asked to say that the workers and security operatives in the IDP camps take turns to sleep with them in return for food and other consumables.”
“The irony is that it was the INGO that promised the women and children financial and material help if they agree to present themselves for recording. In some instances, after the recording, these women and girls would be given a packet of biscuits, a can of juice, and the sum of N1000.”
Another source in the know of events in North-East Nigeria stated that some of the INGOs are making brisk money from international donor agencies that continually send in funds for humanitarian activities in North-East Nigeria.
“Some of these INGOs have seen a goldmine in the crisis in North-East Nigeria. They would stop at nothing to ensure that the crisis continues so they can justify their continued stay in the country. There was a case of a French NGO that was involved in gun-running.”
“These arms and ammunitions are concealed as humanitarian items and brought into the country from some of the neighboring countries. Some of these items are labeled as medical supplies. Once they are granted access to the trenches, they pass these items to Boko Haram/ISWAP members.”
The source further added that the Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters have been receiving training on how to use drones from some mercenaries who go about as humanitarian workers.
“You would be amused to know that the bulk of the workers of the INGOs in operation in North-East Nigeria are mercenaries, and this is possible because of the international conspiracy against Nigeria by some foreign interests that do not want the war to come to an end.
“These individuals are well organized, they carry identity cards of perceived notable organizations, but in truth, what they do is nothing but providing logistic support to the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group. As a fact, it has been established that they carry out espionage activities for the Boko Haram/ISWAP group.”
“The sophistication of the Boko Haram group can be linked to the activities of INGOs in operation in North-East Nigeria. They provide them food, as well as medicine.
In some instances, they intentionally abandon their operational vehicles in the midst of nowhere for the insurgents to pick up for their use. The authorities must look into this.”
According to some insider sources within the camp of the INGOs operating in North-East Nigeria, it was revealed that there is intense pressure from some of the parent countries of the INGOs for them to ensure that the gains made by the Military are upturned.
The source who pleaded anonymity stated that in some instances, it is expected that the INGOs should ensure that the Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters get necessary supplies in food and medicine regularly.
“The war against terrorism in Nigeria would not come to an end soon so long these organizations parading themselves as International Non-Governmental Organizations are present in North-East Nigeria.
They are even worse than the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist. Thiers is more of the international wing of Boko Haram because they are the conduit with which Boko Haram/ISWAP gets their logistic supplies.”
“They also give information to Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters regularly whenever the Military is planning any offensive. Have you wondered why it is that the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist seems invincible in recent times? It is because the INGOs are working for them and passing information that aids their operations.”
The source further added that the ultimate victims are the people who have been traumatized and exploited by the INGOs.
“The unfortunate thing is that the local people think the INGOs are there to help them, and as such, they are quick to do anything they ask them to do, including gathering information about the movement of military personnel and hardware through their communities.”
“For every movement of military hardware, the INGOs are aware and consequently pass the same information to the Boko Haram/ISWAP group. This is mainly responsible for the series on ambushes suffered by the Nigerian Military in recent times.
A former commander of Operation Lafiya Dole corroborated this position. He stated that one of the ways the war against terrorism can come to an end is when the Military begins strategic profiling of all the International Non-Governmental Organizations in North-East Nigeria.
“The Military must see to the fact that the activities of these organizations are curtailed. While I was in the theatre of operations, we got Intel that some INGOs were supplying food and medicine to the Boko Haram/ISWAP group.
We made moves and intercepted a large supply meant for the insurgents along the Dikwa/Ngala axis.”
“The consignment was concealed in an operational truck of a notable organization of French origin and consisted of items such as food items, malaria medications, and sex-enhancing drugs, energy drinks, tramadol capsules, and cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.”
The former commander also stated that the situation was so bad that the more the Military make plans to launch an offensive, the Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters would be informed, and they would change base.
“It got to the point that we were frustrated. It was like our movement was monitored, and our troops were ambushed regularly. It was much later we realized that some moles were planted in communities under the guise of humanitarian workers, and gathering information and passing to the Boko Haram group.”
“The INGOs are not helping our cause in the fight against terrorism, and not until they are eased out of the theatre of operations, the war against terrorism won’t come to an end soon because they are also using the prolonged war to extort donor agencies.”
It would be recalled that some time ago, the Nigerian Military closed down the offices of two French INGOs in Maiduguri and Damaturu for aiding and abetting terrorists and endangering humanitarian assistance to millions of people.
The Military in a statement said it obtained several credible intelligence, which indicated that some INGOs operating in the NE are notorious in supplying food and drugs to the criminals in the area.
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