Boko Haram: Davis links funding to agent in Cairo

Australian ne-gotiator, Stephen Davis yesterday gave some details of how top Nigerians have been channeling  huge sums of money to bankroll the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

The influential Nigerians, whose names were however not revealed, were said to have created a strong network which assisted them to wire a large sum of money via the Central Bank of Nigeria to an agent in Egypt. The agent, he said,  purchases the arms and military uniforms for the insurgents.

Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, and Boko Haram commanders in 2013 after BH reportedly agreed to dialogue

Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, and Boko Haram commanders in 2013 after BH reportedly agreed to dialogue

Apart from the Cairo agent buying arms directly for the sect,  vehicles and some materials are sometimes  moved to Benin Republic where

some are sold to raise cash while some are moved to them for their operations in Nigeria.

These details were given by Dr. Stephen Davis in an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard.

Davis said: “Funds are provided to purchase weapons. This is sometimes transferred through the Central Bank of Nigeria to a person in Cairo who provides the weapons and also provides military uniforms.

“At other times vehicles are purchased in Benin for example and driven into Nigeria where they are sold for cash. They do not mind taking a loss on the sale price as by this method they can obtain cash in Nigeria without a direct link to the sponsor,” the negotiator explained.

Asked to explain whether the Egyptian Boko Haram agent is a foreigner or a Nigerian, Davis said he is a Nigerian of Kanuri extraction with strong connections with Boko Haram and a network of jihadists.

The Australian pointed out that the man in question was not strange to the Nigerian security agencies as his details were already with the Director of State Security Service.

Davis also revealed that the sect’s favourite brand of vehicles is the Volkswagen Golf, which were easily sold off in Nigeria and others used for suicide missions in Nigeria.

On the allegation by a member of European Parliament that the opposition in Nigeria funneled foreign aid to insurgents, Davis said that the sect did not mention any particular party as its sponsor to him.

Vanguard