Terrorism: Ali- Keffi’s allegation must not be ignored, experts insist

EXPERTS have advised the Federal Government not to ignore the allegation by former General Officer Commanding ( GOC) that terrorism is a criminal enterprise rather than any ideology.

A national daily had reported that former GOC, 1 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj- Gen Danjuma Ali- Keffi, wrote to President Bola Tinubu over his arrest, detention and compulsory retirement, following revelations of a presidential investigative task force he headed, which indicted senior government officials, a top banker and top military brass in terrorism financing.

The General headed Operation Service Wide ( OPSW) set up by former President Muhammadu Buhari to in vestigate those involved in terrorism financing.

Ali- Keffi said he headed a Board of Inquiry ( BOI) con - vened by former National Security Adviser ( NSA), MajGen Babagana Monguno ( rtd), which sat in the Office of the NSA for five weeks from early Januar y.

“I was the President of the BOI with members/ secretary drawn from the Nigeria Customs service ( NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS) Department of State Services ( DSS), Nigeria Intelligence Agency ( NIA), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit ( NFIU) and ONSA, as well as from the BOI, which largely in vestigates circumstances surrounding the illegal smug gling of petroleum products contained in 168 oil tankers into Benin Republic through a single smuggling route in Ilesa Barbara, Kwara State.

According to him, the entire episode culminated in his arrest, detention for 64 days in solitar y confine - ment, where he slept on the bare floor with consequent health implications.

He lamented that the most painful part of his experience was that then President Buhari, who approved his headship of the taskforce, did not come to his rescue. He, therefore, sought the intervention of Tinubu in the matter.

He prayed the President to cause an in vestigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest, detention, maltreatment and compulsory retirement from the Army . He also sought a review of his compulsory and to turn it to voluntary retirement, as well as approve compensation for the cost incurred by the taskforce in hiring of vehicle and quarters.