Boko Haram, Not FG, Should Be Blamed For Attack On Buhari – NSA

The National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) on Thursday said contrary to the claims by some individuals that the Federal Government was behind the recent assassination attempt on the life of former head of state, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the Boko Haram sect was responsible.

 

The NSA recalled that as far back as February, leader of the terrorist sect, Abubakar Shekau, had threatened Buhari and some other prominent northerners, calling them infidels that must be dealt with.

Dasuki spoke while fielding questions from State House correspondents after the Council of State meeting during which the issue of the attack on Buhari came up for discussion.

He said, “We said something about the attack on Buhari and Sheik Dahiru Bauchi.

“There was a threat as far back as February this year issued by Shekau calling them infidels by names and positions saying that they were in trouble and they were going to see.

“Well, the government was not responsible, and if you say that the government was responsible in the case of General Buhari, why don’t you say the same in the case of Sheik Dahiru Bauchi?

“We said it not because we had facts but because it is what sells the paper. That is the most unfortunate thing. And we want to say that it was not only General Buhari, there were others mentioned too”.

Dousing the fears that Boko Haram might have started turning the abducted Chibok schoolgirls to female suicide bombers, Dasuki said government did not have control over the girls as long as they are still in captivity.

He, however, said when they are released, government would put in place a reorientation programme for them before they would be reunited with their parents.

He said, “What really can anybody do? The Chibok girls who are in captivity are not under Federal Government’s control.

“The only thing we do is to try and address those who are outside. There is already a programme we will put them through if they are released today to make sure that if there is any indoctrination, we will try and reduce the intensity.

“That is all we can do before they go back to normal life. We can’t do anything to stop them from being indoctrinated.

“The girls who are doing these things are not by any means indoctrinated. That is not what we have as at now”, Dasuki maintained.