9
Cells Of Boko Haram
One group, or conspiracy, in Boko Haram is the mercenary group, which creates the wanton use of arms by Boko Haram in order to create an arms market for supplier-masters who are lodged in governments, diplomacies and other organisations, both government and non-government, running the affairs of the public. A case in hand is the recent naming of Ali Modu Shariff, by the Australian Stephen Davis, allegedly as one of the sponsors of Boko Haram. Stephen Davies alleges that some Boko Haram commanders named Ali Modu Shariff during one of his meetings with the group to negotiate on behalf the Federal Government of Nigeria.
A defence analyst says that although Shariff is likely to belong to more than one cell of Boko Haram if his involvement is certain, but his alleged involvement may like throw his weight as one of those pulling the mercenary group of Boko Haram. "Recall in one of his media interviews", the defence analyst points, "he said he now lives in Lagos, and has always lived in Lagos conducting his business. Lagos is a large commercial city, perfect for conducting any kind of business unnoticed. Also, Lagos is a port city, perfect for a mercenary kind of business." The defence analyst then makes a financial observation: "Six billion dollars defence budget to combat the Boko Haram insurgency is too juicy, too yummy for any mercenary to let slip away."
If the allegation against Ali Modu Shariff is true, then he must not be working alone, or independent of an authority, or the link to a formal authority. "Why did Stella Oduah (former Aviation Minister) spend N255 million ($1.6 million) to buy bulletproof BMW cars?" a source
The Mercenaries
who prefers anonymity asked. "Mercenary business is a dirty and dangerous venture", our source continued, "requiring mercenaries to always remain and operate from the shadows. We need an independent investigation to find out if Mr Shariff has had, or is having, any relationship, personal or otherwise, with Mrs Oduah. Then the bits and pieces will either collapse or fall into place."
It was not only the purchase of the BMW bulletproof cars that made Mrs Oduah's stewardship of the Aviation Ministry controversial. Some analysts think that she might have been assigned the Aviation Ministry on purpose: to facilitate the free movements of unofficial arms and other cargo around the country. For instance, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport recorded too separate incidences, curiously, of arms laden planes landing at the airport in July 2012 and then in June 2013; the former incidence was a Ukrainian plane while the later was a Russian Antonov. Both planes were released for other destinations, officials said to be Malabu, Equatorial Guinea and Kinshasa, Congo DR. There were initial media reports that "orders from above" came stopping security operatives and airport officials from searching the contents of the planes. A similar "order" incident allegedly from Mrs Oduah came in February 2014 ordering all Directorate of State Security (DSS) operatives to keep away from the airports. When this incident caused an uproar in both media and political circles Mrs Oduah came out to deny issuing such orders. In cases like this, "orders from above" "could only have been either from Mrs Oduah or from the President himself", our source observed. What happens to the contents of planes in incidences like the above, only God can reveal to us, if they do not end up in the killing fields of Boko Haram.
Ali Modu Sheriff. Mentioned as a sponsor of Boko Haram. Is he part of a mercenary network, or even more?