Buhari blamed for Boko Haram killings

FORMER SANDF commander and mercenary Eeben Barlow has blamed Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari for the continuing killings in his country by jihadist group Boko Haram.

In a weekend Facebook post, Barlow also criticised Buhari for claiming that Boko Haram had been technically defeated, adding that the militants were causing numerous casualties and capturing massive amounts of equipment and ammunition.

The former mercenary said that Buhari’s government had cut short his contract after his company STTEP (Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection) helped reclaim swathes of territory back from Boko Haram at the peak of the nine-year Islamist insurgency in 2015.

“Pressure forced only a small part of the campaign to be successfully implemented before we were ordered to pack up and leave. Many of the men we trained as part of 72 Mobile Strike Force have remained in contact with us (STTEP), pleading for our return to Nigeria. They have also told us that they have been used to a point of exhaustion,” Barlow said.

Buhari has repeatedly claimed that Boko Haram was on the verge of defeat. However, the organisation continues its assault on civilians and military targets alike, representing a continuing threat to not only Nigeria but the wider Lake Chad region.

“North-eastern Nigeria is an example of what can happen when intelligence is rejected in favour of a false narrative. Don’t blame armed forces when poor political decisions result in the deaths of people,” said Barlow.

Barlow’s criticism follows the release of a video on Friday, by soldiers on the front lines of the war with the militants, which claimed to show at least 100 dead soldiers, following a recent attack on a base in Metele.

AFP has reported at least 17 attempts to overrun army bases since July. Many have been claimed by the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram.

The insurgency has left more than 27 000 people dead and triggered a humanitarian crisis that has left 1.8million people without homes.