The immediate past Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika has described as frivolous and unfounded allegations against him that he was one of the key sponsors of Boko Harama.
Ihejirika saidon Friday that it was purely a calculated attempt to divert attention from the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts.
He spoke during the meeting of the Alumini Association of members of Regular Course 18 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja.
The former COAS said the claims by an Australia hostage negotiator, Stephen Davies, that the insurgents mentioned him and a former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sherrif, among the chief sponsors of Boko Haram Islamic Sect, is unfounded.
“I want to further advise that baseless frivolous, and unfounded allegations like this have the capacity of diverting our attention away from the main problem”, he said.
Speaking further, Ihejirika noted that if the allegations against his person were to have taken place in the developed countries like the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), the issue would have been given not more than an hour’s attention for it to be dismissed.
Many perceptible Nigerians have actually questioned how a man who gave the fierce challenge to the Islamist Group turn around to be a sponsor of the group.
Besides, some argue, it is preposterous for the general who is of Igbo extraction and a Christian to sponsor a group that has killed many of his people and members of his faith.
