The executive governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima has commented on the huge amount of state funds allegedly stolen by the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and his cohorts.
Kashim Shettima
Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima has described the funds alleged to have been stolen in the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal which is now being described as Dasukigate on social media, as blood money.
While playing host to Ladan Salihu, the director-general of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria in Maiduguri last week, Shettima said the “arms scandal” is a crime against humanity.
In his words:
“The revelations from dasukigate have shown that some sections of the northern political class and their children were all involved in this massive crime against humanity. This is blood money. What is the difference between all the revelations and the blood money (blood diamond) in Liberia and Sierra Leone and Congo?
"The money meant to prosecute the war on terror was inhumanly diverted while thousands of civilians and soldiers were killed.” KSM news quotes him as saying.
He called for speedy trial of everyone involved in the sustenance of the insurgency “by the diversion of the funds”. Shettima also said the security situation in his state had improved and that only two local government areas are under Boko haram's captivity. “Six months ago, all the entry points into Maiduguri were inaccessible except to Kano. Months ago when I raised the issue of Boko Haram insurgency, I was called names and vilified, but I had to dare the tiger.
"I told the world what we were going through then in Maiduguri. I know by speaking out, I would face dire consequences but I had the mandate of over six million people of Borno state to tell the world what was happening. Twenty local government areas were under Boko Haram but thank God today only two are not completely accessible, that is Abadam and Mobbar,” he said