Selling Boko Haram videos would have made me wealthy – Salkida denies profiteering allegations

The journalist with unrestricted access to Boko Haram, Ahmad Salkida has denied allegations by British television network, Channel 4, that he tried to offload the latest Boko Haram video to it for a substantial but undisclosed sum of money.

The video which is said to contain footage of the abducted Chibok girls lamenting their ordeal in the hands of their captors has reportedly been show to President Jonathan by Salkida.

“Mr. Salkida, who is understood to have shown the video to President Jonathan, is also believed to have tried — unsuccessfully — to sell rights to the footage to international television stations for a substantial, but undisclosed, sum of money.

“News of this is said to have resulted in his falling out with the Boko Haram commanders with whom he was dealing,” Channel 4 reported.

However Salkida denied the claims and described the allegations as “junk journalism”.

He said he was not interested in selling any videos, but is more committed to seeing peace restored in the North East.

“If I want to sell videos I would be a wealthy man because my sources can give me every single one of their videos,” he told Punch via an email.

“It’s a challenging yet interesting phase for me. But modesty is the hallmark of maturity. I will always embrace this virtue in all my endeavours.

“I don’t need anybody to recommend me to the Federal Government. My work on the Boko Haram insurgency and contributions will remain a watershed as long as this crisis lasts.

“My contribution to peace in northern Nigeria is beyond what anyone can imagine. Only nature, not men, can recompense me.

“As a journalist I’m aware of green and red lines in dealing with sources linked to terrorism. One must be guided by the highest ethical standards.

“Let them continue the allegations, I don’t care. What is important is I will remain true to my country,” he wrote in a series of tweets.

“I’m certain that Boko Haram insurgency can be significantly reduced but the government must be clear and decisive on its policy on national security,” he added.