Boko Haram terrorism costs 100k lives, displaces 2m others
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Insurgency waged in the North East by Boko Haram alone has taken at least 100,000 lives and cost $9 billion (N3.24 trillion) since the Islamist jihadists rose up in arms in 2009, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor has said.
He lamented the huge human and financial costs at the third Ministerial Performance Review Retreat in Abuja, where he also disclosed at least two million people have been displaced by the conflict now restricted to a corner of the North East.
Irabor said the Armed Forces have received N2.5 trillion in seven years and have “tremendously” increased internal security operations.
But he explained the amount is only 35 per cent of the requirement of the Armed Forces and below 0.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He said militancy in the Niger Delta has transmuted into crude oil theft which could be tackled jointly by political leadership, military operations, and citizens, per The Nation.
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Buhari oil revenue shortfall on Boko Haram, militants
President Muhammadu Buhari last month blamed the shortfall in oil revenue on militancy the in the South South and insurgency in North East.
He spoke when he commissioned projects in Owerri, among them Owerri/Okigwe, Orlu/Owerri roads, and State House of Assembly complex, according to reporting by The Nation.
His words: “If Nigeria will recollect since 1999 and 2015 when we came, I like people to check, OPEC projection was 2.1 million barrel per day of every cost of hundred American dollars per barrel, so Nigeria was earning for this time 2.1 million times 100 times a number of this production.
“But look at the state of infrastructure, look at the railways, they were virtually killed. In power, we are still struggling.
“When we came, it was unfortunate; the militants in the South South were unleashed, production went down to half a million barrels per day and again it’s unfortunate the cost of petroleum went down to half a million dollars per day ….
“Again, it was unfortunate the cost of petroleum went down from 28 to 27 dollars.
“Looking at the problem in the North East, ask anybody from Borno or Adamawa how many local governments were in the hands of Boko Haram? very fraudulent people.
“But now go and ask the hardworking Governor of Borno, how many local governments in their hands. The government is in charge now.
“For relatively little time and resources, this administration has done extremely well. I have to say it because those who are supposed to say it are not saying it; I don’t know why.”
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