President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that the level of sophistication employed by Boko Haram terrorists in attacks on Nigerian assets point to foreign based sponsorship. The President speaking to journalists at the end of the two day summit on peace and security in Africa hosted in France by Francis Hollande, said the latest attacks in Borno on an air-force installation were too sophisticated for locals.
The President said, “We believe that a lot of assistance is coming (to the sect) from outside the country.
“We have not been able to pin down the sources and that is why we are talking to our friends that we should collectively work together to identify the source of their funding.
“A terror on any part of the world is a terror on all of us.”
He added, “Initially, we felt that they were local and as such, some people advocated that because of poverty, these locals carried weapons against the State. So you expect that sophistication will be minimal and you will be able to contain it easily.
“But looking at the calibre of weapons they have, you will find out that they have gone beyond the local expectation. For instance, this last attack on Maiduguri, they came with about 15 to 20 Hilux vehicles and each mounted with two to four rocket launchers.
“They were over 100 and some of them were carrying assault rifles and other weapons. The question then is that, where do they get the weapons? Definitely, these weapons cannot come from the locals, they are coming from somewhere.’’
President Jonathan said his administration is working to unveil the sponsors of Boko Haram in the country.
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