During the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, $40 million, which is about N13.6 billion, was approved to negotiate a ceasefire with Boko Haram and also to release the abducted Chibok girls.
The money was withdrawn for the negotiation but it was later revealed that the terrorist rejected the offer but the whereabouts of the money is unknown, the Nation reports.
The federal government has begun a probe into how the money disappeared as it was drawn from the office of the national security adviser.
One report suggested that the money was handed over to the president of a neighbouring country, while another said it was in the ‘custody’ of a former presidential aide.
A top source said: “The government is probing how about $40million was allegedly spent by the administration of ex-President Jonathan to ‘negotiate’ with Boko Haram. The cash was allegedly withdrawn from the ONSA account by a former presidential aide.
“The said aide alleged that the cash was routed through the Presidents of a neighbouring country, but preliminary tracking showed that the money might have been diverted.
“Many people have been linked with the negotiation, but the government, through relevant anti-graft agencies, is trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the funds. We have started inviting those connected with the deal for interaction.
“Even the ex-President in January 2016 said in an interview with a news website, Quartz, in Geneva, Switzerland that his administration did not set up any negotiation team.”
Jonathan denied any negotiation with the terrorists which lends more worry into how the withdrawn money got missing.
“I did not negotiate with Boko Haram. The government never set up a team,” Jonathan told Quartz.
The source added: “So, there could not have been any sum spent on negotiation with Boko Haram, if there was no deal with the sect. You can see that the ongoing investigation of $15billion arms deal in the ONSA has many dimensions.
“The main objective of the government is to recover the $40million.”
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