In a startling admission, former COAS Tukur Buratai confirms security agencies have identified the financiers of terrorism, yet insists revealing their names is not his responsibility—as fresh attacks rock the North-East.

Tukur Buratai, the former Chief of Army Staff, has confirmed that Nigerian security agencies know exactly who is funding terrorism—but they are choosing to keep their identities secret.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Buratai pushed back against growing demands for the public naming of terror financiers, stating plainly that the decision lies with “the appropriate authorities.”

“You cannot expect me to be responsible for identifying the financiers of terrorism,” he said, adding that there are strategic reasons why the names remain under wraps. “It’s not merely about naming individuals; those agencies understand why the names remain undisclosed. Action needs to be taken. These individuals are still part of society today, and they are known.”

His remarks come amid a fresh wave of insecurity in the North-East, particularly in Borno State, where recent attacks have reignited scrutiny over the government’s counter-terrorism strategy.

Distancing the Military from Rehabilitation Policy

Buratai also sought to separate the Nigerian Army from the controversial rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram members, clarifying that the military’s role was strictly tactical.

“The original plan was to give them a deadline to surrender in 2016, and if they did, we would grant them safe passage and hand them over to the appropriate agencies for rehabilitation,” he explained, emphasizing that the broader initiative was a government—not military—decision.

The former Army chief warned that Nigeria’s security challenges demand more than finger-pointing. He urged a sharp increase in intelligence gathering and a major boost in security personnel recruitment, insisting that only a more coordinated and effective approach can stem the tide of violence.